Bollinger Motors' Full EV Sports Truck

The first practical EV off road truck gets a birthday party

Bollinger Motors has created a fully electric Jeep, said to be the world's first commercially available EV off-roader of its kind. The company first unveiled it at the Manhattan Car Club, and what a sight it was. It's called the B1 Sports Utility Truck and was designed and built from the ground up by a relatively small New York-based team.

The Jeep itself looks like something out of a sci-fi nightmare in the best way possible. As a strict off-roading vehicle, it's not the sort of Jeep that's trying to be "everything for everyone" like the Wrangler or Grand Cherokee. Instead, Bollinger Motors are focusing their sights on a smaller demographic of hardcore off-road drivers. By specializing the vehicle, it is hoped that they will be able to break past the EV stigma that has held similar projects like this back in the past.

>>Join the conversation about the Bollinger B1 EV right here in JK-Forum.

Rugged practicality meets high technology

Bollinger Motors had a heavy responsibility with this one. They were essentially tasked with making an electric truck seem practical and powerful enough to be worthwhile as a practical off-roader. Off-roading enthusiasts are historically some of the very last people to jump on the idea of fancy EV technology. Keeping this in mind, Bollinger Motors have taken every chance to make it as rugged and as practical as possible.

We'll leave it to Bollinger Motors' founder Robert Bollinger to put it himself: "I envisioned the vehicle as the ultimate truck for work and play and the perfect truck for ranchers, builders, and off-roaders but without the environmental effects and carbon footprint of a traditional gas-powered SUV."

>>Join the conversation about the Bollinger B1 EV right here in JK-Forum.

A truly Spartan aesthetic

Every inch of the Bollinger B1 truck makes it clear they were focused on being practical and rugged above all else. The mainstream Jeeps are notorious for their "no-frills" philosophy. The B1 takes that to the extreme. Everything on the interior is metallic and bolted. There's practically nothing to be said for creature comfort as if to underline this is a vehicle strictly for rugged living. Lookswise the B1 is pretty spectacular, looking like something drawn directly from a Mad Max film or a death metal album cover. That striking aesthetic by itself could be enough to market it.

It could appear as though Bollinger Motors tried to make their EV look tough-as-nails to compensate for the common perception of electric cars as being weak and effete. Whatever the case, the aesthetic is so bold and "out there" that it totally works.

>>Join the conversation about the Bollinger B1 EV right here in JK-Forum.

Of course, an off roader is based on its performance...

The promising thing about the Bollinger Jeep is that it manages to still rack up impressive specs on battery power. Electric vehicles never picked up in popularity in large part due to their weakness and limited range. Pumping 360 horses and fielding a 200-mile range, the B1's definitely no slouch for specs. While the Mad Max aesthetic could be enough to sell the "cool" factor (something EVs often struggle with) Bollinger Motors' real masterstroke has been creating an electric vehicle that actually seems like it could brave the wilderness. Compared to the 707 horsepower of the upcoming Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk the B1 might not hold up much, but it's far more sustainable than 2018's "monster SUV," not to mention considerably cheaper.

>>Join the conversation about the Bollinger B1 EV right here in JK-Forum.

The B1 will become available soon

The Bollinger B1 will cost somewhere around the $60,000 mark; it's not a bad price considering you're getting a limited-edition EV that's technically breaking new ground. Through 2017 Bollinger Motors has allowed people to set up reservations. Reservations will continue to be taken in 2018 with a $1000 deposit. All in all, it's great to see third-party companies such as creating bold variations on something as classic and recognizable as the Jeep. With how cool the B1 looks and feels, it seems as though EV tech may finally be on its way towards making it big in the public sphere.

If you're interested in looking into the B1 Sports Utility Truck further or even making a reservation yourself, you can access the official Bollinger Motors site by clicking here.

>>Join the conversation about the Bollinger B1 EV right here in JK-Forum.

For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit out how-to section right here in the forum