B
ollinger’s B2 pickup and B1 SUV are
aimed at a narrower niche of green-
minded landed gentry looking to
explore their undeveloped estates in
a clean, quiet, no-frills vehicle with the
off-road capability of a Hummer H1. In
essence, it’s like an electric H1 in a Land
Rover Defender costume. It even features
H1-like portal axles.The primary motivation behind its
industrial design is ease of manufacture.
As with mighty Tesla’s Cybertruck, tiny
Bollinger eliminates capital-intensive
sheetmetal stamping by designing the
body panels so they can be bent on simple
equipment in a couple of operations. The
complex corners are castings. The glass is
all flat, and the side windows slide to open.
The doors, windows, and sunroof panels
can be completely removed. A mid-gate
hinges down flush with the cargo floor, and
the rear seats are removable, allowing
8-foot sheet goods to fit inside the tail-
gate. Another pass-through to the front
trunk, a front tailgate, and a clear, level
floor from front to rear mean a B2 could
potentially transport a telephone pole.
Another big expense savings: Its 10,001-
pound gross vehicle weight rating qualifies
it as a 3500-class truck, exempting it from
many light vehicle safety regs like airbags.
Bollinger is nevertheless developing a
stability control system and conducting
rigorous simulation testing of side-
impact pole crash tests, roof crush tests,
and others to ensure its vehicles provide
expected levels of occupant safety.
Of course, fortifying the chassis to
shoulder 4,000 pounds of payload added
some cost. Hydropneumatic spring/
damper units provide self-leveling, deliver
similar ride quality loaded and empty, and
can vary the ground clearance from 10 to
20 inches. Hydraulic cross-linking delivers
the anti-roll benefits of Rivian’s Ten neco
system. More clever cost savings: The
suspension corners are diago-
nally interchangeable, with the
steering tie-rods pinned to the
chassis when fitted to the rear.
Bolstering Bollinger’s
off-road bona fides are
lockable axle differentials, a
virtual center dif f lock, those
portal axles (which provide
a 1.94:1 gearing reduction atthe wheels), and two-speed gearing in the
bespoke front and rear gearboxes. The low
range is for off-road use and provides an
overall 22.5:1 crawl ratio. High range yields
11.3:1. That’s numerically higher (“shorter”)
than most EV drive ratios, but Bollinger’s
bespoke motors operate up to 12,000 rpm
to deliver a 100-mph top speed.
The B1 and B2 prototype development
has been self-funded. Now the company
is arranging financing and selecting a
manufacturing partner, working toward a
launch date in early 2021. Sales and service
of the $125,000 trucks will be provided by a
network of independent dealers.Bollinger B 2 Early 2 021
Price $125,000
(before applicable tax credits)
Powertrain Layout 2 inboard motors;
614 hp/648 lb-ft comb; 2-speed auto
gearboxes; 120-kW-hr battery pack
Configuration 4-door/4-pass/6 .0 -f t b e d
L x W x H; Wheelbase 207.5 x 77.2 x 72.7
in; 139.0 in Performance 0–60: 4.5 sec,
200-mile EPA range*
Towing/Payload Capacity 7,500/4,000 lb
Unique Selling Propositions Class 3
truck payload (4,000 lb), mid-gate and
removable rear seats expand bed to 8 feet,
frunk pass-through and tailgates support
19.3-foot-long narrow items, portal axles
for 15-inch nominal ground clearance
*estimatedAPRIL 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 63ELECTRIC PICKUPS