Oakland County EV startup to launch electric work truck

WWJ-AM / WWJ Newsradio 950

Bollinger Motors was the EV startup that planned to make very high-end and rugged electric SUVs and pickups. Now WWJ's Auto Beat Reporter Jeff Gilbert says the Oakland County, Michigan-based company has switched its focus to commercial trucks.

Transcript

00:00You may remember Bollinger as the EV startup that was going to make very rugged, very high-end electric SUVs and pickups.

00:08A few years ago, their focus changed to commercial trucks, a more immediate market.

00:14So they've been working on a chassis cab, the B4.

00:17It has 200 miles of range, targeted for use as a delivery truck or another kind of work vehicle, purpose built to be electric.

00:26It's not reused as an old diesel frame or diesel vehicle. A lot of those are getting repurposed.

00:31So ours is designed for an EV to accommodate the outfits for range, efficiency, durability, too.

00:39The cab looks like you would expect in a work truck, nothing elaborate.

00:43The ride, also like you would expect in a vehicle like this.

00:46We're riding around Oak Park in the B4, very smooth.

00:50I mean, inside it looks like a commercial truck.

00:52But one of the things you notice about an electric commercial truck is that it's a lot quieter.

00:58I did get behind the wheel for a little while.

01:01I succeeded in not killing the company's president or wrecking the truck.

01:05That in itself was an accomplishment.

01:07That electric motor means it drives very nice and has a very impressive turning radius.

01:13The vehicle designed and developed at a facility in Oak Park, built in Livonia by Roush.

01:18We are using Roush as our contract manufacturer.

01:21They are very versed in engineering testing.

01:24They actually do most of our testing, too.

01:27They've been doing this for 50 years.

01:29The goal is start out small, grow the commercial vehicle business,

01:33and the hope is still alive that someday they can return to doing very extreme pickups and SUVs for consumers.

01:41I'm MotorBeat reporter Jeff Gilbert.

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