Back in April, a startup company in New York called Bollinger Motors caught my eye, as the company announced that it would be creating that which the mainstream auto industry seems unwilling to: an electron-fueled powertrain in a truck.
Photo: Bollinger Motors
At the time, we had just been given a glimpse of the Bollinger truck’s side, underbody sled, and general shape in a cardboard model. Now, though, Bollinger has officially revealed its new electric “Sport Utility Truck,” the B1, along with its specifications, and I still think GM should jump in on this thing.
The B1 is supposed to be a “returning to basics” utility vehicle, and it certainly looks the part, with its various body panels forming flat planes on all sides. The front windshield is also completely flat, like the one on the Jeep Wrangler, and each window looks to be operated by a very simple sliding design.
Setting aside the exterior for a moment, let’s look at some of the B1’s stats. It comes with all-wheel drive, using dual motors in the front and rear to deliver 360 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque. The underbody battery uses one of two sizes, either 60 kWh or 100 kWh, giving the B1 a range of either 120 miles or 200 miles (Bollinger’s estimate), respectively.
Bollinger added that the batteries, from full depletion, on a Level 2 (or 240V) power source, charge in 7 hours (for the 60 kWh battery) or 12 hours (for the 100 kWh battery). On a DC fast charger, that translates to 45 minutes for the smaller battery (again, from dead), or 75 minutes for the larger.
Overall, the B1 has a 6,100-pound towing capacity with the same payload capacity. Bollinger is also quick to point out that the B1 has an approach angle of 56 degrees, departure angle of 53 degrees, and break-over angle of 33 degrees with a ground clearance of 15.5 inches.
The B1 also has one particularly interesting feature: its pass-through frunk. The front of the B1 opens up, creating a passageway clear through the truck. The B1 also sports 100-volt outlets, so that “you can use it to power any equipment and tools you might need out in the field,” according to the press release.
Bollinger hasn’t announced a price yet, through has promised to do so later this year at “a price point of a nicely equipped sport utility vehicle.” It has also said deliveries at targeted to start in 19 months, to reservation-holders who put down a $1,000 down payment.
Back in April, I said that I thought that major automakers, particularly GM, should buy this company up. Now, having seen the B1, my opinion has not changed.
The B1 occupies a niche that nobody (except for a few startups like Workhorse) has dared touch yet—electric truck.
Pictured: definitely not an electric powertrain
Utility vehicles, in the form of crossovers and one somewhat flawed plug-in hybrid minivan, are starting to get the electric treatment, but only barely (the most significant one is probably the Bolt, which is billed as a compact crossover, but doesn’t have the utility of say, a minivan).
Electric vehicles just seem suited to hard work like you would expect from a Wrangler or other off-roader. They are high-torque, have a very low center of gravity, and can sit still without losing fuel.
Besides, if GM picks up Bollinger and the B1, it not only gains a Wrangler competitor, but also continues building its electric-car credibility introducing electric powertrains to a new market that might appreciate the benefits without scoffing, “But how clean is it really?”
News Source: Bollinger Motors
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