Bollinger hasn't had the easiest ride as a startup carmaker. From their inception, they joined a wave of startup car companies unveiling electric pickups through the mid-2010s, including Rivian and Lordstown Motors. More established manufacturers like Ford, GM, and Tesla all have their own models in the pipeline as well, with the Lightning, Hummer, and Cybertruck respectively. That's an awful lot of competition for a relatively unknown startup-like Bollinger to compete with, but with their flagship B2 pickup, it seems they're coming out swinging.
It's a proven fact that making an EV as a startup company is incredibly difficult, requiring a huge amount of both capital and talent to really get things off the ground. Bollinger hasn't made anywhere near as many headlines as their scandal-hit peers like Lordstown Motors and Faraday Future, but as a result, they've been able to focus on bringing their B1 SUV and B2 pickup to market. It seems like they're pretty close now, and the first customers are scheduled to start receiving their trucks in just a few months. So, what exactly makes the B2 a unique prospect in the densely-packed field of EV pickups? Let's take a closer look and find out.
8 Its Design Is Completely Unique
The first thing to notice about the B2 is just how angular it is. It's almost like the company's design department drew a rough sketch of the truck and decided, 'Yeah, that'll do' and just sent the drawings straight off for production. Part of the reason for this is that Bollinger wanted to emulate the square-bodied pickups of years gone by.
The result is a pickup that's just as striking as any product from Tesla or GM, albeit with a lot less visual theater than a Cybertruck or a Hummer. From the front, it seems like there's a hint of the old Land Rover Defender in there, and to be fair the strip of taillights at the rear could also have been inspired by the British classic too.
7 Prices Start From $125,000
The second thing that most potential buyers of the B2 notice is its price. Yep, it really does start at a hefty $125,000. This is where it differs greatly from most of its competitors. Nearly every other rival has been trying to include lower-priced options to make their EVs compete with gasoline-powered trucks, but Bollinger just decided to forget about affordability altogether.
It remains to be seen whether this tactic works, as there's a lot of choice out there for the money. For those who want a vehicle with a tough aesthetic, a new Mercedes G Class will only cost $7,000 extra. Buyers who need the ultimate towing power could opt for most gasoline heavy-duty trucks from Ford and Chevy. They will not only beat the towing capacity of the B2 by a considerable margin, but they'll also cost tens of thousands less to buy new.
6 It Can Tow Up To 7,500 Pounds
Talking about towing capacity, the B2 is no slouch, but it's hardly a class leader either. It can pull up to 7,500 lbs and has a payload capacity of 5,001 lbs according to Bollinger's official figures. In comparison, a Ford F-150 Super Duty can tow up to 13,000 lbs with the 5.0L V8 optioned in, although it only has a maximum payload of 3,325 lbs.
However, that F-150 can be bought new for under $60k, so given the Bollinger is over twice as expensive it certainly doesn't seem like the B2 is great value for money. If anything, for a supposedly ultra-practical work truck, it's a little lacking in its towing capacity.
5 Its Power Output Is Very Impressive
One thing that no one can knock the B2 for is its power output figures, which stand at 614 hp and 668 lb-ft of torque. That gives it a weirdly fast 4.5 second 0-60 time, although it's limited to a top speed of just 100 mph.
So, it'll certainly accelerate off the line quickly despite its huge size. The question is, why? It's not like anyone is going to be drag racing other commercial pickup trucks at the stoplights. People who care about acceleration times tend to want fast cars overall. The B2, with its top speed that's 12 mph slower than that of a Mitsubishi Mirage, certainly can't be called fast.
4 There's Up To 20 Inches Of Ground Clearance
Performance aside, one thing that's certain is that the B2 is one of the most off-road ready EV pickups out there. A full 20" of ground clearance is standard when wheel travel is taken into account, says Bollinger's website. Both its front and rear diffs are lockable and there's a low-range gearbox for crawling.
Its approach and departure angles are particularly impressive, coming in at 52 degrees and 28 degrees respectively. There's no doubt that this truck will be fearsome off-road, although its limited range might provide some practical limitations.
3 It Has A 200 Mile Range
With a range of only 200 miles, the Bollinger trails its competition by a significant margin. Ford is aiming for a 300-mile range for its top-spec F-150 Lightning, and Tesla says their Cybertruck will be good for up to 500 miles. Fellow startup Rivian is also ahead of Bollinger, with their R1T truck providing up to 314 miles of juice.
A 200-mile range is perfectly fine for everyday urban and commuter driving, but it puts a dampener on Bollinger's idea of the B2 being the perfect all-terrain adventure truck. After all, there's plenty of remote trails that are further than 200 miles away from the nearest DC fast-charging station, and using a conventional outlet will take 10 hours for a full recharge.
2 It's Very Minimalist Inside
Bollinger has clearly tried to take a leaf out of Tesla's book here, as the inside of the B2 is about as spartan as it's possible to get. There's a steering wheel, some simple gauges and dials, and not a lot else to be seen.
There's no infotainment system included, and no navigation system either. That means getting lost in the B2 will require the driver to use their phone's maps app or a paper map. The large space down the center of the cabin actually extends through the whole truck, and it's intended to fit large pieces of cargo like timber.
1 It Doesn't Have Many Safety Features
One issue that's been pointed out by MotorBiscuit is that the B2 is lacking in safety features compared to other trucks of its size and price. This is a deliberate omission on the part of Bollinger: by getting the truck's GVWR up to 10,001 lb, a single pound over the minimum weight, the B2 can be classified as a Class 3 work truck.
This means it's exempt from crash testing or mandatory airbags like a smaller truck would be. Does this mean it's unsafe? Probably not, as it's certainly no worse than many of the older pickups on the roads today. But, it's certainly something to keep in mind for buyers who are planning to mainly use their B2 on the roads rather than off them.