Bollinger Motors is a company that has certainly seen its fair share of ups and downs over the past few years. When we last heard from Bollinger, they announced that they were ending development of the B1 pickup and B2 SUV models while also doubling down on the commercial vehicle segment. Bollinger has so far been reluctant to reveal full details of what that means for consumers, but recently, the company offered a small glimmer of what this could mean with he reveal of their all-new lineup of B4 commercial chassis cab models.
Cab Forward For An All EV Future
Dubbed the B4, the truck will look very familiar to those that might have seen commercial trucks got through the rigors of labor at many industrial sites. Like those trucks, the B4 adopts a cab forward layout with Bollinger claiming that the setup not only takes advantage of improved visibility, but also maximizes how much cargo can be hauled in the rear and even shortens the turning circle too.
The wheelbase of this truck is also designed to be very flexible and can be stretched or shortened to fit a wide range of needs. That includes buyers that would want one for service as a bus or even a larger shuttle vehicles for facilities like airports. The truck cab itself can also be removed from the platform and replaced with a setup that can better fit a client’s needs. This appears to add some validity to Bollinger’s prior claims especially those that claimed that their commercial offerings would be a proverbial clean slate for customizers and clients. Bollinger didn’t reveal images of the interior, but look for it to follow the blueprint of other ICE equipped cab forward trucks with the cabin adopting a functional appearance with minimal reliance on frills.
Each B4 is powered by a 800V solid-rear axle e-drive motor with the setup being powered by a choice of three different lithium-iron phosphate battery packs including a triple layout with all three of them expected to deliver up to 100 miles of driving range. This performance will also be backed up by an impressive array of safety and driving aides including a 360 degree collision alert system, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning detection, adaptive cruise control, as well as specially designed protective steel rails that protect the battery from damage in the event of an accident.
When Will B4 Models Reach Clients?
Bollinger revealed that the company is on track to begin B4 testing this fall with the first batch of trucks going to fleet companies and charging firms with feedback from those two sources helping Bollinger prepare the production versions for mass market use. In addition to the B4, Bollinger is also preparing Class 5 and 6 EV models but stopped far short of offering any further details on when we will see those models. Speaking of not offering details on things, Bollinger also didn’t dive any further into the current status of the Deliver-E EV van. That particular model was announced back in 2020 and was originally supposed to be a candidate for Amazon’s EV delivery van plans before the company chose to go with Rivian in that regard.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.