You gotta hand it to Elon Musk: the man knows how to steal the show - either that or things just happen to go his way, we're not entirely convinced which is true.
When Tesla revealed the Cybertruck, everybody - us included - acted as if we had never seen a design that was so ridiculously practical, so little concerned with aesthetics, or, more to the point, with curved surfaces. Well, we dare you to find one square inch on the Bollinger B1 or B2 that isn't completely flat. Right now, you can't because nobody has access to the team's prototypes, but we're pretty sure you couldn't even if the truck was sitting right in front of you.
And yet the Cybertruck gets all the attention despite the fact we're still not entirely sure about the headroom in those rear seats - a problem you clearly won't have with either the B1 (the SUV) or the B2 (the pickup truck). However, there's a very clear reason for that: as polarizing as his personality might be, Elon Musk and his Tesla do have one very important thing going for them compared to Bollinger: a working company that's actually building cars.
Bollinger has been around for more than three years, but since it had a working prototype within four months of its first media outing, the project must have been in development for much longer than that. Now, after a relatively long quiet period, Bollinger has released a new set of pictures showing what they call the "production intent design" for their two models, as well as some more detailed technical details.
Photo: Bollinger Motors
Starting with the design, both vehicles are the embodiment of form following function. As it so often happens, that can lead to an aesthetically pleasing appearance, and all the hard edges, the B1 and B2 are definitely easy on the eye. Especially now that they've used a friendlier white paint compared to the old black.
If we were to describe it, we'd say it looks like the vehicle somebody would make if they tried to recreate the old Land Rover Defender out of memory and with nothing but flat pieces of metal. The Tesla Cybertruck may be the poster boy for practical design, but Bollinger actually did it first.
As for the specs, they are pretty impressive, too, though some information - such as the maximum range - is still missing. Still, we have plenty of other things to talk about. For instance, the power output of the dual-motor configuration will be 614 hp and 668 lb-ft (905 Nm) of torque.
The top speed of the B1 and B2 will be 100 mph (161 km/h), and with that shape, you wouldn't really expect much more. Zero to sixty, on the other hand, is said to take just 4.5 seconds. Both vehicles will have 15 inches (38 cm) of ground clearance, but they'll also be able to vary it between 10 and 20 inches (25 to 50 cm).
Photo: Bollinger Motors
We may not know their range, but Bollinger doesn't make the size of the battery a secret. At 142 kWh, it should be within the 300 miles (480 km) sweet spot, which may not sound like it'll be a lot in a few years when the Bollinger B1 and B2 come out. Do bear in mind the GMC Hummer EV gets 350 miles (563 km) from its 200 kWh battery, and it, too, will only be sold starting early 2022.
Bollinger claims the production of its B1 and B2 models will begin late next year, but it's yet unclear where the company plans on building them. "We will be working with a strategic partner with many years of experience in manufacturing. More details as they unfold", reads the text on their website, which is not going to fill anyone with confidence. Hopefully, they will bring it to market, if only so the Cybertruck won't feel completely alone and misunderstood out there.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News