Bollinger reveals four-door B1 electric SUV and B2 electric pickup, Ars Technica

      

•             
  

                                

                  

•             
  

                                

                  

•             
  

                                

                  

•             
  

                                

                  

•             
  

                                

                  

•             
  

                                

                  

•             
  

                                

                  

•             
  

                                

                  

•             
  

                                

              

  

Did you look at the newLand Rover Defender and think to yourself “that thing’s got way too many curves”? If so, you might enjoy these photos of the Bollinger Motors B1 and B2 electric trucks.

We covered the company (in early 2018, when it revealed the first images of its four-door B1. On Thursdayat a live-streamed event, it showed off a beta prototype of the B1, which it calls a sports utility truck, as well as the B2, a more conventional pickup truck.

They share the most of the same technical specs. It’s a (kW) (HP), (Nm) 668 lb-ft) dual-motor, all-wheel drive design, with a whopping 120 kWh lithium-ion battery pack between the axles. Even with that much power and torque, don’t expectTaycan– rivaling performance; 0 – 60 mph might take 4.5 seconds, but these EVs are limited to (mph) 160 km / h) flat-out.

Which makes sense, because the vehicles’ designer, Robert Bollinger, came up with the idea after getting frustrated with using traditional trucks on his farm in New York. “Pickup trucks haven’t changed in forever; they’ve just got plusher and more expensive. The B1 is about what I need: having a farm, being an adult, knowing I have to go to Home Depot sometimes, or there’s going to be two feet of snow — this is your one multitool vehicle for everything, “he told me when we spoke last year.

It’s a most utilitarian design, with a passthrough that allows you to carry long cargo – 24 planks of 2×4 for example. The B1 and B2 will both be rated to carry 5, (lbs) 2, (kg) of cargo, with a 7, 500 lb (3, 401 kg) towing capacity. And there’sa two-speed transmissionfor high and low-range, and between 10 and (inches) 25 – 51 cm) of ground clearance, so either the B1 or B2 should be pretty handy when the tarmac runs out.

Production isn’t scheduled to begin until later next year, and we’ll have to wait until closer to the time to find out things like an EPA range or the price. The company says that it is planning on a minimum of 200 miles between charges, and when I spoke with Bollinger last year he told me that it won’t be cheap, but it also won’t be quite as expensive as some might think.

“We’re electric, we’re low-volume, we’re basically hand-built, so we ‘ re not going to be cheap.When we come out with our price point there will be some people who think we’re a $ 200, 00 0 vehicle, who will be pleasantly surprised.There are some people who want it to be a Jeep Wrangler-type vehicle, but there’s no way that’ll happen, “he told me.

        

Listing image by Bollinger Motors