The Bollinger B1 SUV might look like vintage gasoline-burning off-roaders of the past (we see elements of the original Ford Bronco here as well as the Land Rover Defender), but it boasts a modern all-electric powertrain with 614 horsepower. EV-makers like Rivian and Tesla stuff ever-more technology and customer comforts into their electric vehicles. The Bollinger B1 is the opposite of that. It’s big and boxy and designed for one thing: hammering around the land, conquering any obstacle, and getting you back again all without any emissions.The B1 will be built alongside the B2 pickup truck in Detroit and both are said to provide a 200-mile driving range between charges. Bollinger Motors is an American automobile manufacturer of electric vehicles based in Oak Park, Michigan, United States. The automotive company Bollinger Motors was founded as a startup in 2014 in New York City by the American entrepreneur Robert Bollinger, taking its name from his name. The first result of the work of Bollinger’s designers was a prototype of a three-door car called the B1, which was presented in June 2017.
The B1 features two electric motors—one is located at the front axle, while the second drives the rear—which combined make 614 horsepower. All-wheel drive is standard and Bollinger estimates a 4.5-second zero-to-60-mph time. A two-speed transfer case provides both high and low range for the all-wheel-drive system; when combined with a 15-inch ground clearance, this should give the B1 real off-road capabilities. Towing capacity is a stout 7500 pounds and the payload capacity is 5201 pounds. A two-speed gearbox is used to permit both precise torque delivery at low (off-road) speeds and reasonable highway performance. Motor-control electronics provide a virtual center differential lock. Power resides in a very large battery pack (74 x 59 x 8 inches and 120 kW-hr) that resides in a structural carbon-fiber box under the floor. Company simulations suggest the big battery will last for 200 miles (on the EPA’s test cycle), or for about 10 hours of off-roading.
These are available in glass or aluminum. The side windows open by sliding sideways, but they also come out for a fully open-air feeling. And the doors can be removed. Removable “consoles” can be snapped into holes in the floor between the front and rear seats, but these are primarily tablelike armrests that preserve the aforementioned telephone-pole pass-thru. There will be no fifth or sixth optional seats clipping into those console mounts, as there’s not enough headroom. Air conditioning flows up into a cross-car vent system located just under the windshield. The three individual vents can be rotated toward the windshield for defrost, toward the occupants’ faces, or rolled to a closed position. Other cool features include four roof panels that pop up to vent or come out for open-air motoring.
The B1’s cabin is simple and unadorned, but there’s room for four adults in what look like individual bucket seats; the rear seats fold and then flip up against the SUV’s side windows to make room for additional cargo. Speaking of cargo, the B1 has a special pass-through from the cabin to the front trunk, which allows it to accommodate items that are nearly as long as the SUV itself. The interior is designed to be hosed out, and the exterior is (industrially) designed first and foremost for ease of manufacture. All the exterior sheetmetal can be cut and bent without stamping dies, and most are bonded and riveted using exposed rivets to enhance the industrial look. A few underbody panels might require stamping. The front corners will be cast. The structure and the body are made of aluminum, but the independent suspension members are mostly steel.
