Electric startup Bollinger Motors promised one of the coolest features we’ve ever seen on a new vehicle when it first showed its Bollinger B1 and B2 concept models in 2017. It had the ability to open small doors that let you store items using the entire length of the vehicle. You could fit up to 16-foot-long items inside with the doors closed, or even longer items if you let them stick out the front and back.
As impressive as it was, the feature wasn’t enough to get the B1 and B2 to market. Last month, the startup entered receivership as it couldn’t make a deal on an unpaid loan. But the company has been saved, at least for now. A new investment means a stronger ownership and a plan to “ramp up sales activity immediately.”
Bollinger Receivership Mess Has Been Sorted
Bollinger Motors was founded in 2014, and its founder and CEO had a goal of building a rugged electric SUV. Though the styling was more square than an Amazon box, it had some neat ideas like that clever cargo pass-through. The company dropped plans for smaller models in favor of some bigger commercial vehicles, but still didn’t make the leap to selling in volume.
Last year, another startup, Mullen Automotive, bought a big stake in Bollinger. But a lawsuit between Bollinger and Mullen over $10m ended up in receivership.
Earlier this week, Mullen Automotive announced that it had purchased another 21 percent of Bollinger, bringing its stake to 95 percent. It also sorted out “recent claims and debt” and the company has been discharged from receivership.
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Bollinger will remain separate from Mullen, the company said. Mullen Automotive, which has shown multiple performance EVs to the public, also builds commercial electric vehicles, including the Campus and One cargo vans, as well as the Mullen Three electric low-cab-forward truck chassis.
Company Will Focus On B4 Commercial Platform
But while Bollinger Motors is back in business, don’t expect the B1 or B2 to go on sale anytime soon. Or ever. Instead, the announcement from Mullen Automotive says that Bollinger Motors will instead focus on its B4 platform.
The Bollinger B4 is a Class 4 all-electric chassis cab. Class 4 means a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,001 to 16,000 pounds. It’s a competitor to the Isuzu NPR, not an F-150. It offers 323 horsepower and 675 lb-ft of torque. The 158-kWh battery promises a 185-mile range, which isn’t what you might want for a personal vehicle but is perfect for an intra-city delivery vehicle.
Mullen said that existing Bollinger customers can expect business as usual. Or, in this case, possibly better than usual. Their commercial vehicles will have full company backing for sales, service, and warranty.
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Not that there have been many customers yet. The company has only built around 40 units so far. Most of those are said to still be at its HQ in Michigan. It’s tough to bring an EV from idea to market, even if it doesn’t have the extensive requirements of a passenger vehicle. Bollinger might have just turned the corner, and its owner, with regained control, says that “Bollinger [is] to ramp up sales activity immediately.”
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