EV Startup Plans Pickup Truck

Bollinger Motors LLC, which last year announced plans for its all-electric B1 off-road SUV, also is developing an electric pickup truck. Both vehicles are due in 2020. A third model also is said to be in the works.

The boxy B2 pickup will share the B1’s aluminum chassis with an adjustable hydro-pneumatic suspension. Both models are Class 3 work trucks and feature two electric motors to provide all-wheel drive.

Measuring nearly 208 inches from bumper to bumper, the B2 is about 3 feet longer than the B1 SUV. The pickup truck will have a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 lbs and a payload capacity of 5,000 lbs, according to the carmaker.

The B2’s pickup bed is 49 inches wide and 69 inches long. With a forward tailgate at the back of the passenger cabin folded down and rear window folded up, the truck can accommodate 72 sheets of stacked 4x8-ft plywood. Long, narrow items can slide down the middle of the vehicle through the front cabin and “nose gate” to hang out of the front end.

The electric motors produce a combined 520 hp and 514 lb-ft of torque. A 120-kWh battery will enable an estimated driving range of 200 miles.

The hydro-pneumatic suspension and in-wheel portal gear hubs can adjust ground clearance across a range of 10-20 inches. Other goodies include locking differentials and detachable sway bars.

Earlier this year, Bollinger moved its headquarters from Hobart, N.Y., to Ferndale, Mich. The company claims to have more than 10,000 reservations for the B1.