A rare peek into how hard work can turn an idea into reality.
Bollinger Motors, the Michigan-based electric SUV and pickup startup is planning to deliver its first B1 and B2 trucks in 2021. Its first B1 SUV prototype debuted exactly three years ago at the Classic Car Club of Manhattan, and now, Bollinger’s team has also launched an electric platform it plans to sell to other manufacturers. Now, you can experience the journey courtesy of a black and white film recently released by Bollinger.
It calls it the E-Chassis, and claims it is “the world’s first and only class 3 electric platform.” What’s for sure is that this EV-base can come in a variety of wheelbases, with or without portal gear hubs, configured for front, rear or all-wheel drive, and pack a battery with a capacity as large as 180 kWh. Bollinger’s hope is that multiple delivery vans, ambulances, rescue trucks, shuttle vehicles, and other clean, yet highly versatile vehicles can be based on its technology.
However, before they can get there, the B1 SUV, the B2 pickup truck, and the B2 chassis cab have to make it first. Last year, they announced that the B1s and B2s would hit the market starting at $125,000.
Needless to say, such a sum for a truck would be a steep proposition from anybody, let alone a mostly-unknown EV brand.
To show the world its bold design take on the future, prior to its premiere in New York three years ago, Bollinger’s team hand-build its prototypes in Ferndale, Michigan. It’s rare to see this process from any carmaker, but we know this phase can only begin after countless hours spent in the digital space, and multiple costly trials and errors with the individual components.
Making a new car from scratch is extremely difficult, and continues to be a battle until the very moment series production can be ramped up to its desired pace, with happy customers spreading the word. Three years ago, Bollinger Motors made its first semi-functional cars in America, and some happy clapping was inevitable when the B1’s wheels started turning on their own for the first time, as you can see in the video below.