A truck is a truck, right? Actually, no. The wide geographical gap that is the Atlantic ocean between USA and Europe is as wide as in the understanding of certain terms. Like Gas is actually liquid in US motoring terms. Similarly, the truck is a commercial vehicle in the Europe, used to carry cargo, while in the USA, it is a privately owned vehicle for recreation with the family.
Bollinger is an American startup which has come up with two electric vehicles, the B1 SUV and the B2 truck. Both these vehicles are classified as Class 3 heavy duty 4×4 vehicles in the USA. Bollinger has gone ahead and applied for patent not only for certain components of their vehicles but the entire vehicle architecture. They have applied for patent for mechanical architecture, electrical architecture, electric drivetrain, modes of operation, configurability, and common vehicle platform.
The Bollinger vehicles comprise a robust and simple design. They are powered by two electric motors generating 614 BHP of power. The energy for the motors is stored in batteries of either 120 KW-H or 180 KW-H capacity, giving them a range of up to 320 Km. They have a payload of 2.27 tons and a towing capacity of 3.4 tons. The B1 and B2 have four-wheel-drive. They are capable of locking front and the rear differentials and have effective high and low gearing. The Bollingers are installed with hydraulic sway bar control, hydraulic height-adjustable suspension, portal axles for increased ground clearance and hydraulic anti-lock power brakes.
Each vehicle is priced at approximately US$ 125,000 which is pretty steep. Hence, to make the business more sustainable, Bollinger is also going to manufacture chassis separately and offer them to commercial vehicle users with a bolt-on cab or several custom body styles suited to their requirements.
Bollinger claims that such an offering will allow quicker electrification of the commercial vehicles market also.
The Transport Journal 