New York-based startup Bollinger Motors wants to electrify one of the most fossil-fuel-dependent segments of the car market: off-roaders. It started its bold offensive when it revealed the B1, an SUV in the vein of the now-defunct Land Rover Defender, and it later digitally unveiled a second model appropriately called B2. The company then went silent. It released a video in August 2019 to confirm it’s alive and well, and to announce it’s nearly done making its first prototypes.
The B2 pickup truck is an evolution of the B1, and the two models share a boxy, function-over-form design characterized by round headlights and flat body panels. Going electric allowed designers to carve out a 16-foot tunnel between the front and rear bumpers that makes hauling longer items — like lumber — a breeze. Alternatively, opening the separation between the passenger and cargo compartments clears up enough space for 72 sheets of half-inch-thick plywood. Unique in the industry, these clever features promise to give the B2 a sizable advantage over its future rivals, whether they run on electricity or gasoline. Stand-out features are key, because the segment is going to get crowded in record time.
Bollinger noted the B2 stretches 207 inches long, 77 inches wide, and 72 inches tall. These dimensions place it in the same arena as the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon twins and the Ford Ranger. The electric pickup truck segment is currently empty but Tesla and Rivian have pledged to enter it sooner rather than later. Ford is working on one, too.
The specifications sheet lists a pair of electric motors — one mounted over each axle — that work together to deliver 520 horsepower and 514 pound-feet of torque, figures more commonly found on the track-bred sports car side of the automotive spectrum than in the pickup truck world. They draw electricity from a massive, 120-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that provides at least 200 miles of range. To add context, the Audi E-Tron uses a 95-kWh battery while the biggest pack Tesla offers on the Model X is a 100-kWh unit.
With through-the-road all-wheel drive, the 5,000-pound B2 takes merely 6.5 seconds to reach 60 mph from a stop and it goes on to a top speed of 100 mph. When racing from stoplight to stoplight isn’t the order of the day, it is capable of towing up to 7,500 pounds or hauling 5,000 pounds. Charging the battery pack requires 75 minutes when using a level-three fast charger, or 10 hours when the truck is plugged into a slower level-two charger.
These figures remain hypothetical; as of writing, the B2 is little more than a set of CAD drawings. When the first prototype is ready to hit the trail, Bollinger will test it far off the beaten path and use the data it gathers to fine-tune the technology that powers it. An unveiling is scheduled for September 26, and buyers who want an early spot in line when deliveries starts can already reserve either model by sending the company a refundable deposit. Bollinger aims to begin production in 2020, though final pricing information hasn’t been released yet.
Updated on August 26, 2019: Added the latest information about the models, teaser video, release date.
By: Digital Trend
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