Bollinger Motors, a commercial electric vehicle startup established in 2015, plans to start producing “saleable units” of its Bollinger B4 Chassis Cab. Bollinger said production begins September 16 with deliveries beginning in October.
This comes six months after NTEA’s Work Truck Week, where Robert Bollinger, the company’s founder, told FleetOwner his goal was to become “a true OEM.”
“Once we have a true production vehicle out for sale, we’re an OEM,” he said.
The Class 4 battery-electric B4 Chassis Cab features a 158-kWh battery pack nestled between the chassis rails along with other critical components and cables. This placement not only keeps the battery protected, it also simplifies the upfit process—after all, the B4 was designed from the ground up using upfitter and fleet owner input.
With a body and upfits installed on the B4, the 158-kWh battery offers a range of approximately 185 miles at 50% payload capacity, which is a typical duty cycle for delivery vehicles that leave the depot full and return empty at the end of a shift.
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Building the B4 takes a team
The Bollinger B4 Chassis Cab is powered by a U.S.-produced EV battery from Our Next Energy. The Novi-based battery producer is just a few towns over from Bollinger’s Oak Park, Michigan, headquarters and less than 20 minutes from the B4 production facility.
Production for the B4 will take place in Livonia, Michigan, at a production facility owned by Roush Industries. A partnership between the two companies allows Bollinger to leverage Roush Industries’ “production and e-mobility expertise,” Bollinger stated in a release.
“This is an exciting time in Bollinger Motors’ history, as it takes a monumental team effort to go from true start-up to production in the timeframe we have achieved,” Bryan Chambers, Bollinger president and COO, said in the release. “The Bollinger Motors team, Roush Industries, and our entire supply chain network has worked tirelessly to make the B4 a reality.”
In addition to its production partner, Bollinger’s parent company, Mullen Automotive, has had a hand in accelerating Bollinger’s growth and its focus on EVs for the commercial segment.
Bollinger is the next soon-to-be OEM
Ahead of the production announcement, Bollinger Motors announced it now provides full warranty coverage for its B4 Chassis Cab. The EV also recently received the Certificate of Conformity from the Environmental Protection Agency—meaning it conforms to EPA requirements—and it recently qualified for the federal clean vehicle tax credits ($40,000 per vehicle).
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Bollinger will be able to classify itself as a true OEM come October if all goes as planned. Already, Doering Fleet Management, a fleet management, leasing, and consulting company, ordered 70 B4 EVs for its fleet. Momentum Groups, a fleet management and EV charging solutions company, ordered 80 B4 Chassis Cabs, and EnviroCharge, a charging solution company, ordered 50.
Future Bollinger B4 owners will have the option to service their Class 4 EVs at Nacarato Truck Centers, Nuss Truck and Equipment, and LaFontaine Auto Group.
“We are already experiencing strong momentum in the market from important customers throughout the country,” Jim Connelly, chief revenue officer of Bollinger Motors, said. “We are confident that we are bringing them a truck that will reward their trust and help transform their business. We cannot wait to get the B4 on the road, electrifying America’s fleets."
