Nissan reportedly tapping EV startup Hercules to electrify Titan pickup

As the rush to battery-powered pickups grabs more headlines, Nissan is said to be interested in getting its slow-selling Titan full-size pickup in on the action. According to a report by Bloomberg, the company is exploring a partnership with EV startup Hercules that would have the nascent Detroit-based electric-pickup manufacturer supply electric powertrains for Nissan. Nissan, in return would provide unnamed truck components for Hercules' own Alpha pickup.

It has previously been reported that Nissan would trim the Titan model range, dropping unpopular variants such as the single-cab version and the diesel, as part of a company-wide initiative to cut costs. But full-size pickups generally are huge profit centers for their makers, and Nissan surely wants to keep the Titan viable. An electric Titan would join the thundering herd of upcoming battery-powered pickups such as the Tesla Cybertruck, Ford's Electric F-150, GM's Hummer EV, the Rivian R1T, the Lordstown Endurance, and Bollinger B2 among others.

As for Nissan's potential partner, Hercules has garnered somewhat less attention than several of its EV startup rivals. The company was founded in 2018 by James Breyer, joined by Greg Weber and Julie Tolley, all of whom had experience at U.S. automakers and/or suppliers. The Alpha pickup promises 1,000 horsepower from a four-motor AWD drivetrain, 300-plus miles of range, 12,500 pounds towing capacity, and a solar truck bed tonneau cover. The company says it plans to build the truck using modular construction at an existing facility. So far, a single exterior image has been shown, but the company is accepting $1,500 reservations for its launch Founders Edition. The truck is slated to reach buyers in mid-2022.