"Nikola became the laughingstock of the automotive world last year when it emerged that it had rolled its (purportedly) hydrogen-electric semi truck down a hill in a high-profile demo because it couldn’t actually drive yet.
Now, though, it turns out the ruse may have been even more pathetic — federal prosecutors in the new fraud charges levied against Nikola founder Trevor Milton now say that the truck wasn’t just rolling down a hill — it was utterly powerless altogether. Specifically, the prototype truck had to be plugged into a hidden electrical power system while it rolled downhill, according to the new complaint that the Securities and Exchange Commission filed against Milton, because otherwise there would have been no way to power its lights and other components.
In short, the incredibly overhyped truck, which Milton said at the time were fully operational, were allegedly about as functional as children’s toys."