Nikola Corp. Files for Bankruptcy, Capping Tumultuous Journey
Nikola Corp. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, marking a culmination of the company's struggles to maintain financial stability amid weak sales and executive turmoil following a fraud scandal.
According to court documents, Nikola listed assets valued between $500 million and $1 billion, compared to liabilities ranging from $1 billion to $10 billion. The move comes as the electric and hydrogen-powered semi-truck manufacturer grappled with dwindling cash reserves, sluggish demand, and a plummeting stock price.
Nikola's shares took a nosedive of 54% as of 8 a.m. Wednesday before regular trading in New York. Over the past 12 months, the stock has lost 97% of its value.
The company's journey has been marked by turbulence since its public debut in 2020 through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company. Allegations of overstated capabilities and a short-seller campaign led to the ouster and subsequent fraud conviction of founder Trevor Milton.
近年来，Nikola 经历了资金流问题、需求疲软和高管更替。2023 年，因电池火灾，该公司召回了其电池电动卡车，导致其暂时停止销售。彭博社报道称，首席执行官史蒂夫·格尔斯基 (Steve Girsky)，前摩根士丹利分析师和通用汽车公司高管，一直领导着最近的筹集资金或寻找战略替代方案的努力。
电动汽车行业的动荡 Nikola 成为最新一家屈服于电动汽车严苛环境的制造商，由于高昂的成本、零散的充电基础设施和客户兴趣不温不火，电动汽车正难以维持吸引力。Fisker Inc. 于 6 月申请破产保护，而 Canoo Inc. 于 1 月 17 日宣布申请破产保护——这两家公司与 Nikola 一样，在 2020 年的一波此类上市浪潮中通过空头支票反向并购上市。瑞典电池制造商 Northvolt AB 于 11 月在美国申请破产保护。
Nikola 在一份声明中表示，随着破产申请，该公司正在寻求授权进行拍卖和销售流程。该公司表示，打算履行对员工的义务，目前手头有 4700 万美元现金。
Nikola 的市值在其开始交易后的几天内达到顶峰，为 290 亿美元，但在申请破产前已跌至不到 1 亿美元。