Republic Services (NYSE: RSG) has canceled an order for 2,500 battery-electric refuse trucks from
Nikola Corp. (NASDAQ: NKLA), raising new questions about the electric truck startup's ability to generate revenue to keep its business plans alive.
Development of the trucks based on the Nikola Tre would take too long to develop and cost more than expected, Nikola said in a press statement Wednesday.
The goal of the collaboration with Republic was to design and build an industry-first fully integrated refuse truck based on a zero-emissions battery-electric drive platform and body. It would also integrate multiple new systems.
On a call Wednesday morning with investors, Nikola management said the Republic program was running $200 million over budget. And it would require a new bottom-up design instead of leveraging the Tre base chassis as planned, according to Cowen Inc. analyst Jeffrey Osborne.