Can Tesla play nice with other automakers at the proverbial pump?
Remember the quaint electric SUV being produced by Bollinger Motors? It’s getting closer to production each day and the domestic automaker wants to ensure its future customers have access to juice. In a recent tweet, Bollinger reached out to Tesla CEO Elon Musk with an interesting proposal to use Tesla’s impressive Supercharging network.
The Bollinger B1 is an SUV like no other; it’s square, it’s not meant to be flashy, and it operates purely on battery power. The vehicle itself is rather impressive given that it’s intended to be the workhorse of electric vehicles, successfully carrying its own weight of 5,000 pounds. In addition, its dynamic adjustable height suspension make it quite an interesting pick to be a replacement for the Jeep platform on and off the road. The truck features two electric motors that pump out a combined 360 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque, and offer niche offerings like locking differentials, a high/low gearbox, and even disconnecting sway bars. However, there’s one thing that isn’t too impressive about the B1 when considering it’s designed to be a daily driver: its range.
The B1 in action.
Despite having one of the largest capacity battery packs in any production electric car available today, 125 kilowatt hours, Bollinger says that the B1 will only have around 200 miles of range. To put it into perspective, Tesla’s Model X, achieves up to 289 miles of range from a battery pack that has 20 percent less capacity than the B1, all while maintaining a similar vehicle weight and towing capacity. One possible solution to the limited range might be more frequent charging, and that’s where Tesla could come to the rescue.
Back in 2015, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had hinted at the possibility that Tesla would open up its Supercharing stations to other EV manufacturers. At an event hosted by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Musk reportedly told the crowd, “[Tesla is] actually in talks with some manufacturers doing just that and it will be exciting to share that news.” Although no large players are actively touting their collaborative efforts with Tesla, it’s exciting news to know that the electric automaker may still be open to sharing its infrastructure.
According to sales statistics made available by Bollinger earlier this year, the SUV maker certainly isn’t hurting for customers. In fact, it said that over 12,000 people had pre-ordered the B1 as early as February of this year. If Tesla agreed to Bollinger’s use of its vehicles at Tesla’s mature Supercharging network, the B1 may just have a very good chance at becoming a more sought-after toy in the performance market. Plus, you know what they say; if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.