The EV industry’s next influencer might be a robot built by a mechanic
By Mae Cornes, Published June 23, 2025
Photo courtesy of Nikola Farad S.F.R. (Scientific Fact Robot)
Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
While the world was busy watching billionaires chase rockets and algorithms, Daniel Lee Williams was chasing something else entirely: a spark of conscience.
Working out of a modest garage, this 30-year auto mechanic wasn’t just fixing vehicles; he was quietly plotting their obsolescence. And now, he’s ready to bring his vision to the national stage with an animated emissary named Nikola Farad, a robot who might just become the next great voice in the electric vehicle movement.
Nikola Farad isn’t your typical climate mascot. He doesn’t dance, wink, or try to sell you a tax credit. He simply tells the truth – with a calm tone, a rotating set of racially inclusive facial panels, and a deep commitment to scientific facts. “I built Nikola to speak to the gas-buying public,” Williams explains. “Not to shame them—but to help them connect the dots.”