The Bollinger B1 And B2 Are Boxy EV Workhorses With 606bhp Apiece

For anyone complaining that the new Land Rover Defender is too complex and curvy, there will soon be a much more acceptable alternative. Presenting: the Bollinger B1 and B2.

You may be familiar with the name and the look of these cars - that’s because Bollinger released its first B1 prototype a couple of years ago. The new B1 is instead a four-door vehicle, and it’s joined by the B2 pick-up.

The vehicles are both beta prototypes, which “mark a major milestone in the company’s next steps toward production,” Bollinger says. Underneath the unpretentious, back-to-basic aesthetic, however, lies a more futuristic propulsion system.

The B1 and B2 are built on the Bollinger Motors Class-3 truck platform, at the core of which is a whopping 120kWh battery pack. This powers two motors - one for each axle - giving the equivalent of 606bhp and 668lb ft of torque.

0-62mph happens in a Porsche 718 Cayman S-rivalling 4.5 seconds, although the boxy shape means the top speed is a little less impressive at 100mph. Neither stat is particularly relevant, however - what matters more is the B1 and B2’s off-road manners, given that these are supposed to be workhorses.

Each is well-sorted in this regard. There’s a two-speed high/low-range gearbox, 38cm of ground clearance, 25cm of suspension travel and portal axles. When you need to slow down before bouncing over obstacles, there are four inboard disc brakes to lean on.

The B1 and B2 each have a payload capacity of 2358kg, and for when that’s not enough, it’ll be possible to haul a load of up to nearly 3.5 tonnes.

Bollinger is promising to reveal pricing plus timing for production “in the coming months.”