Bollinger bails on its big, boxy B1 and B2 EVs to focus on commercial vehicles
That six-figure price tag and those niche looks were always going to be a tough sell, but competition now is tougher than ever.
Way back in the before-times, when Bollinger debuted its concepts for bulky, blocky utilitarian off-road EVs, I got pretty excited. What's not to love about something that looks like a cross between a Hummer H1 and a classic Land Rover ? Unfortunately the love affair fizzled out when Bollinger proposed pricing in the six-figure range for its B1 and B2.
Apparently I wasn't the only one soured on the company's plans. According to an announcement made on Friday, it would appear the folks at Bollinger are bailing on consumer-focused models, at least for now. Instead, the company will focus on its Chass-E commercial-grade vehicles.
"We started Bollinger Motors in 2015 with a dream and a desire to make the best trucks possible," said Robert Bollinger, CEO of Bollinger Motors, in a statement. "We've put countless hours of hard work and passion into making something that makes us proud. However, today, we're postponing the consumer trucks' development and shifting our focus to commercial trucks and fleets."
Back when Bollinger initially announced its truck and SUV, there weren't many electric pickups or SUVs on the horizon, and the world seemed like a rosier place. Fast forward to 2022, and we have electric trucks coming in hot from Ford and GM, as well as from other startups like Rivian.
People who placed deposits on Bollinger vehicles will have those deposits refunded, though the timeline for that hasn't been made clear.