Nikola Taps Ex-Opel CEO to Bring Electric Trucks to Market

Nikola has hired former Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller as President to lead the electric vehicle (EV) maker’s U.S. production as its delivery dates draw near.

The move means the Pheonix-based EV company has gained an experienced auto executive to help scale production of its long-anticipated Nikola Tre battery-electric trucks. The company initially began delivering pilot trucks in December 2021 and is expected to ramp up production for mass deliveries this year.

Lohscheller is a former VW and Mitsubishi executive who is primarily credited with the turnaround of Stellantis subsidiary Opel. More recently, he was the CEO of Vietnamese EV maker Vinfast.

“An experienced and respected industry veteran like Michael strengthens the Nikola team,” Nikola Chairman Stephen Girsky said in a press release. “He knows his way around the manufacturing floors, board rooms and showrooms and has worked with the latest technologies throughout his career.”

Lohscheller’s decades of automotive expertise will help the company avoid issues as it scales production, a common problem at young automotive startups—even Tesla has faced issues hitting production milestones as it grew. His presence will also bring an extra layer of credibility to Nikola after a fraud scandal forced the resignation of its founder and Executive Chairman Trevor Milton last year.

“Lohscheller’s role will be immediately pivotal as the Nikola Tre BEV moves into production, and as we continue to achieve development milestones for the Nikola Tre FCEV," CEO Mark Russell added.

The hire also comes amid a hyperactive electric vehicle talent market, which has seen startups poach from each other and legacy automakers as their production dates rapidly approach. For instance, Faraday Future hired a slew of new leaders from competitors like Rivian and Lordstown Motors in the second half of 2021, and the first of Faraday Future’s FF 91 EVs will be available in July 2022. Additionally, rivals such as Rivian, Lordstown Motors and Lucid expect to begin or dramatically increase their own production numbers in the coming year.