Nikola Badger

The Trevor Milton fraud trial heads for jury deliberations Friday following invective-tinged final arguments.

Nikola is recasting its board of directors to make crisis management and business expertise available to management as the electric truck startup seeks to regain credibility lost after a stratospheric beginning as a public company.

Soaring heights and crashing lows describe Nikola Corp.s first six months as a public company. Allegations of fraud and a stock price decline from the high $70s to the upper teens led Yahoo Finance users to vote the electric truck startup the worst company of the year.

Arizona officials rooting for Nikola Corp. to make good on its plans for a $600 million electric truck assembly plant and hundreds of new jobs say construction is progressing.

Nikola telegraphed that an equity deal with General Motors was iffy following a short seller’s fraud claims by the electric truck startup. On Monday, GM and Nikola said they may work together to integrate GM fuel cells in Nikola trucks, a small piece of the grander plan.

Excerpt: Nikola and GM signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding to use the automaker’s Hydrotec fuel cells in its heavy-duty trucks. But GM walks away from taking an equity stake and the Badger electric pickup is dropped.

Nikola Corp. founder Trevor Milton can sell his 92 million shares on Monday, creating a glut of stock that could drive the already volatile share price lower.

The official line on continuing negotiations is unchanged. But Nikola’s CEO refers to GM batteries and fuel cells for its trucks as alternatives.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, the future of Nikola’s Badger electric pickup is up in the air; President Donald Trump signs a one-year funding extension for surface transportation programs; and a major survey on truck parking nears completion.

As Nikola’s talks continue with General Motors to preserve a supply deal for batteries and fuel cells, evidence is mounting that the Nikola Badger electric pickup associated with departed founder Trevor Milton may become roadkill.