Amount of expense for award under share-based payment arrangement. Excludes amount capitalized.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5047-113901

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 14.F)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=122041274&loc=d3e301413-122809

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted-average period over which cost not yet recognized is expected to be recognized for award under share-based payment arrangement, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognizedPeriodForRecognition1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cost to be recognized for nonvested award under share-based payment arrangement. Excludes share and unit options.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognizedShareBasedAwardsOtherThanOptions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of cost to be recognized for option under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognizedStockOptions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of common shares issuable upon conversion for each share of preferred stock to be converted.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123467817&loc=SL123496158-112644

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockConvertibleConversionRatio
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents of Recapitalization Transaction, Exchange Ratio in Business Combination Agreement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	zev_RecapitalizationTransactionExchangeRatioInBusinessCombinationAgreement
Namespace Prefix:	zev_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_CostOfSalesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpensesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Equity Incentive Plans - Stock-based compensation and estimated unrecognized expense related to stock option and RSU (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	May 06, 2021
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	$ 2,538	$ 275
Stock options unrecognized expense	2,088
Restricted stock units unrecognized expense	$ 6,100
Exchange Ratio	0.9406		0.9406
Stock options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	$ 800	275
Remaining vesting period (in years)	2 years 3 months 18 days
Recapitalization Transaction, Exchange Ratio in Business Combination Agreement	0.9406
Stock options \| Cost of revenues
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	$ 27	1
Stock options \| Selling, general and administrative
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	731	273
Stock options \| Research and development
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	42	$ 1
Restricted Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	$ 1,738
Remaining vesting period (in years)	2 years 8 months 12 days
Restricted Stock Units \| Cost of revenues
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	$ 45
Restricted Stock Units \| Selling, general and administrative
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	1,680
Restricted Stock Units \| Research and development
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	$ 13