EV startup Bollinger Motors unveils electric chassis for Class 3 trucks

Bollinger Motors, the startup that is developing the battery-electric off-road B1 four-door SUV and B2 pickup truck, has taken the wraps off the modular E-Chassis that it says will underpin both vehicles. And the news is that the Ferndale, Mich.-based startup will use it to develop future models and commercial trucks.

The patent-pending platform accommodates many of the features shared by both vehicles, including 120-kWh battery pack, front and rear motors, all-wheel drive, power system controls, portal gear hub, thermal-management system and off-road features like hydro-pneumatic self-leveling suspension and independent front and rear suspension. Bollinger also says it can be easily adjusted to fit a variety of wheelbase lengths, for front- or rear-wheel-drive setups, and with or without portal gear hubs. It can also accommodate larger-capacity batteries of up to 180 kWh for higher range.

“When we first built our Class 3 B1, we knew there was a commercial aspect to the platform,” CEO and founder Robert Bollinger said. “Not only cab-on-chassis, but entirely new truck bodies can fit on our E-Chassis, and help propel the world to all-electric that much faster.”

The platform is covered under the same patent application Bollinger announced in January, which it said includes the entire vehicle, with “particular emphasis on the specific arrangement of the major components and subsystems.” It offered by way of example the way the motors, inverters, gearboxes and chargers “are arranged centrally and symmetrically” and result “in a desirable effect on the vehicles’ center of gravity.”

Bollinger announced last fall that the B1 SUV and B2 pickup will both start at $125,000. The base versions will be equipped with the 120 -Wh batteries, good for an estimated 200 miles of range, and will offer 614 horsepower and 668 pound-feet of torque. They also feature 10, 110-volt AC outlets, or 240-volt output as an option. Besides their off-road goodies, the interior is completely sealed off, so you can hose it out after running it in the mud or fording it in as much as 36 inches of water.

Both will be hand-built in small volumes starting later this year, with deliveries expected in 2021 through independent dealers.

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