Bollinger shows EV chassis for commercial vehicles
It'll be suitable for Class 3 commercial trucks and carry a 120 kilowatt-hour battery pack.
Coming to a commercial vehicle near you. Maybe.
Remember Bollinger? The Michigan-based startup was one of the first companies to reveal rugged off-road vehicles with all-electric powertrains, but since then, it's gotten a tad lost in the shuffle. It's sort of incredible to think about how many companies plan electric trucks and SUVs these days.
However, Bollinger's been busy. The company revealed on Thursday it will share the B1 and B2 electric truck platform for commercial vehicle applications. This "E-Chassis" is actually the same platform that will underpin the B1 and B2 electric trucks and remains patent pending. Numerous elements that should help create EVs totally suitable to commercial vehicle operators, though.
For example, the platform can house two battery pack sizes. The standard pack will be a 120 kilowatt-hour battery, though a 180 kilowatt-hour battery will be optional. Like the B1 and B2 electric pickups, the commercial chassis will be suitable for Class 3 vehicles, or models with a gross vehicle weight rating between 10,000 and 14,000 pounds. Companies interested in the platform can note this chassis will support up to 5,000 pounds worth of payload.
Plenty of other engineering bits will translate from the B1 and B2 to commercial applications. There will still be two electric motors, all-wheel drive, hydraulic power steering and a 5-15 kilowatt onboard charger. Front- and rear-wheel drive are also possible with the configurable nature of the chassis.
Bollinger didn't name any particular partnerships alongside the commercial chassis announcement, but it seems inevitable. Plenty of companies continue to seek out off-the-shelf alternatives to purchasing vans or trucks with an internal-combustion engine. Amazon went as far as partnering with another startup, Rivian, to make a purpose-built delivery van for Prime deliveries.
Back at Bollinger, the company said it will build the chassis alongside the B1 and B2 electric pickups. Companies will have access to it starting in 2021. Those looking for one of the startup's first pedestrian vehicles can place a $1,000 deposit that goes toward the final price of $125,000 before options.
