The Bollinger B1: An Electric Sport Ute

The Bollinger Motors B1 has been revealed.

The what?

Well, it’s an all-electric sport utility vehicle from a company based in Hobart, New York, a small town in the center of the state. It’s, according to Robert Bollinger, founder and CEO of the company, “the culmination of what has been a 40-year-long boyhood dream of mine.”

Yes, it is a dual-motor (270 kW, a.k.a., 360 hp) vehicle with lithium-ion batteries offering a range of either 120 or 200 miles, depending on whether the 60-kWh or 100-kWh pack is selected.

It is an aluminum-intensive vehicle with a chassis that weighs 295 pounds. There is even a ribbed, 0.25-inch thick aluminum skid plate on the underside because this is meant to be a vehicle that can be taken off road. Supplementing that off-road capability is a high-strength steel rollover structure.

Well, it’s the prototype of the vehicle.

They’re talking to companies who could manufacture the AWD B1. After that’s been worked up, then they’re estimating deliveries within 19 months.

The exterior design is absolutely three-box. One might call it “geometric.”

It is 150 inches long, has a 105-inch wheelbase, and is 76.5 inches wide and 73.5 inches high. The base ride high offers 15.5 inches of ground clearance but it can be adjusted (via four-wheel independent hydro-pneumatic suspension) between 10 and 20 inches.

According to Karl Hacken, Bollinger Motors’ lead engineer, “Because the entire drivetrain and battery storage system is located between the chassis rails, the B1 has. . .a very low center of gravity providing for unsurpassed stability.” He added, “The hydraulically assisted steering rack was designed in-house allowing us the ability to fine tune the driving dynamics to our exact specifications.”

The interior of the vehicle is rather pragmatic, with four circular gauges (e.g., speedo, tach, EV info), a three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel and a gear-selector on the right side of the steering column.

Ross Compton, who worked with Robert Bollinger on the design of the vehicle, said, “The interior follows the strong and straight-line design of the exterior using simplicity and straight-forwardness as the main design language.”

Because this is a utility vehicle, an electric utility vehicle, there are multiple 100-volt outlets on it, as well as 12-volt and USB outlets on the dash.

Those interested in the B1 can go to bollingermotors.com and register to be kept in the loop, then in early 2018 they plan to take reservations with a $1,000 down payment.

While not providing specifics, Bollinger said, “The business case for the B1 makes sense at a very realistic and modest production number and at a price point of a nicely equipped sport utility vehicle.”