The company, which once enjoyed a surging stock price, struggled to turn its plans for electric and hydrogen trucks into a viable business.

It’s been a wild ride for the ambitious maker of large trucks, including a big-dollar deal with GM and a high-profile fraud conviction for its founder. But now, it’s bankrupt.

Electric truck and vehicle manufacturer Nikola has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States. It has been known for months that the fledgling company was experiencing financial difficulties. Rumours had been circulating for some time that the situation was untenable.