(AOF) – Nikola is expected to fall by more than 13% in the pre-market on Wall Street after the announcement on Friday of the departure of Carey Mendes, former BP who had been in charge of his energy activities for a year: he notably signed an agreement to secure funding for 50 hydrogen fueling stations. The manufacturer also announced on Thursday the recall of its Tre electric trucks after an investigation accused it of having caused a fire at its Phenix headquarters due to a battery problem.
The company announced the departure of Carey Mendes in a one-sentence document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. Nikola has not publicly named a successor. Mendes’ biggest accomplishment was a partnership with startup Voltera Inc. to fund up to 50 stations where fuel cell trucks from Nikola and other manufacturers could refuel.
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A paradoxical performance
Data from EY highlights that the performance of the world’s top 16 manufacturers was particularly strong in 2021. While the average margin has fallen for three years in a row, from 6.3% in 2017 to just 3.5% in 2020 , this margin stood at 8.5% in 2021. This level is a record for ten years. However, the context was particularly hectic for manufacturers, faced with unprecedented shortages of components. Global sales fell 14% in 2020, the year of the health crisis, to rebound by only 5% in 2021. However, last year, players were able to reap the benefits of their efforts on their fixed cost structure. .