News: NY Startup Bollinger Motors Reveals EV truck

B1 EV Sport Utility Truck Aims for Work/Play Niche

Good ideas don’t always seem attractive at first glance—ugly sweater parties, for example, or your neighbor’s pug. But dig a little deeper and you might find yourself wondering why you decided to get a poodle. That is the case with new American startup Bollinger Motors.

Earlier this week, Bollinger unveiled its new fully electric B1 “Sport Utility Truck” at Manhattan’s Classic Car Club. Reminiscent of Top Gear’s Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust, the B1 is not exactly a “looker”; but it doesn’t seem to be lying on its resume either.

Based in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, founder Robert Bollinger wanted to build an electric vehicle that focused more on what it could do, rather than what statement the car could make.

“I envisioned the [B1] as the ultimate truck for work and play,” said Bollinger, “The perfect truck for ranchers, builders, DIYers and off-roaders, but without the environmental effects and carbon footprint of a traditional gas-powered SUV.”

Basic Analog Truck

With the B1, Bollinger also wanted to find a different, and ironically more analog, side of the EV industry. The B1 will be available with an AM/FM receiver, Bluetooth connectivity, and an AUX input, but no touchscreen.

Other than the head unit, the dashboard will be almost completely analog; even including an analog battery level indicator; the only digital display being a small LCD screen that shows outside temperature, range and MPGe.

Despite its lumbering looks, the B1’s dual-motor drivetrain is rated at 360 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque; good enough to move the two-ton truck from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds.

According to Bollinger, the B1 will be available with two battery options—a 60 kWh battery good for about 120 miles of range and a 100 kWh battery good for about 200 miles of range.

In terms of utility, the B1 lives up to its ethos with a front trunk (because there is no engine taking up space), removable rear seats, and 15 1/2 inches of ground clearance that can be raised or lowered by five inches using the truck’s self-leveling, four-wheel independent hydro-pneumatic suspension.

Pricing for the B1 has not been officially set, but it should cost somewhere around $60,000. B1’s can currently be reserved online with no obligation, however a down payment will likely be required at a later date.

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