Bollinger B1: All-Electric Sport Utility Truck Claims To Be First Of Its Kind Among Electric Vehicles

The Bollinger B1 all-electric truck has just been revealed, and that alone should get electric vehicle enthusiasts interested. Because while Tesla and other automakers have focused on electrifying cars and SUVs, the New York-based startup has done something different by electrifying an all-wheel drive sport utility truck, something that hasn’t quite been seen in the EV space.

According to a report from Mashable, the newly-unveiled B1 truck can be described as a “cross between a Jeep and an (original) Hummer,” but without the bells and whistles. With a minimalist interior, the B1’s exterior is far more interesting, as it allows owners to remove the cab and the doors as they please, making it ideal as an off-road vehicle, or even a work vehicle.

The Bollinger B1 all-electric truck looks so unlike the average electric vehicle, but that’s just part of its potential appeal to consumers, wrote Mashable. Apart from Bollinger’s claim that it is the first electric all-wheel drive sport utility truck in the market, the vehicle also comes with a generous 100 kWh battery that could allow it to last up to 200 miles on a single charge. That’s not too far off from the smaller, less-powerful Tesla Model 3’s estimated range of 215 miles.

On a similar note, the folks behind the Workhorse hybrid truck claim that their vehicle can go 80 miles per charge all-electric. But as Bollinger claims, the B1 all-electric truck’s smaller 60 kWh battery option still can trump that, as it’s capable of going 120 miles per charge.

Badass all-electric truck is a step ahead of Tesla https://t.co/PWNJI8yPTa via @mashable

— Bollinger Motors (@bollingermotors) July 29, 2017

https://twitter.com/NewwwCarss/status/888775985910382597

In terms of performance, the B1 doesn’t disappoint, as its motor generates an impressive 360 horsepower and 472 pound/feet of torque, allowing the truck to go from 0 to 60 mph at only 4.5 seconds. That’s nothing compared to the Tesla Model S P100D’s 0-60 time of 2.3 seconds, per a recent Motor Trend road test, but 4.5 seconds from standstill to 60 miles per hour is quite an impressive feat for a big work truck. Top speed has been estimated at a solid 127 mph, while the truck also comes with a payload capacity of 6,100 pounds.

As mentioned above, the B1’s interior has been described as being minimalist. According to SlashGear, the truck comes with a steering wheel, a few analog gauges, an AM/FM radio, Bluetooth support, an AUX port, and only a few other interior features worth noting. The truck, however, is quite spacious inside, especially if the rear seats are removed.

Though it may seem as if Bollinger Motors wants to give Elon Musk and Tesla a run for their money, a report from the Verge suggests that owner Robert Bollinger just wants to prove that “there’s room for some grit” in the electric vehicle industry. After moving upstate to the Catskills to become a farmer, the New York resident got frustrated with the lack of versatility he got from conventional utility vehicles found in farms, hence his inspiration for the Bollinger B1 electric truck.

“On my farm I was like, ‘My pickup truck, I hate this, it’s getting stuck in the snow,'” Bollinger told the Verge.

“And then when you’re driving around in a pickup all day, you’re kind of too long for everything. You go into any of the small towns around here, and it’s you’re like too big.”

If you’re interested in the Bollinger B1 all-electric truck, it may be a while before the vehicle starts rolling out to consumers. The company will start taking pre-orders next year, in advance of an expected 2019 release date, with reservations costing $1,000 each. Pricing information is not available at the moment, but SlashGear added that the B1 may have a similar price point to “nicely equipped” SUVs.

[Featured Image by GlennV/Shutterstock]