Bollinger’s E-Chassis Is the EV Blank Slate for Class 3 Trucking

If the burly Bollinger B1 and B2 electric SUV and pickup truck impress you, but their blocky styling leaves something to be desired, perhaps you can sate that desire with the company’s new E-Chassis. As its name implies, the E-Chassis is little more than a naked, electric truck chassis. What you put on top of it, is entirely up to you or the fabricator you hire. In other words, you can have your Bollinger and clothe it, too. 

Like the B1 and B2 that it also underpins, the E-Chassis is designed for Class 3 operation and is a true skateboard chassis that can slip beneath whatever body someone wants to fit on top of it. But what does that Class 3 bit mean? In layman’s terms, this chassis is capable of performing the duties commonly associated with heavy-duty vans and trucks and (likely with a body attached) exceeds the 10,000-pound gross-vehicle-weight threshold. That also makes it beholden to different regulatory safety standards from normal passenger vehicles.

Obviously, the E-Chassis is therefore intended to be up-fitted by third parties, turned into delivery vans, heavy-duty commercial trucks, or (admittedly hardcore) mail trucks and the like. But, hey, maybe it could be bought and used for play—this would make a sweet basis for a rugged electric RV. Besides its 5,000-pound payload for hauling heavy loads, the E-Chassis is also plenty capable off-road thanks to its standard front and rear motors; portal-gear axle hubs; and four-wheel independent, hydropneumatic suspension system. Those who don’t need such kit, however, can ditch the portal hubs and also opt for a single front or rear motor.

No matter your intentions, every Bollinger E-Chassis includes niceties such as anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, power steering, and a 120-kWh battery pack. A larger 180-kWh pack is optional, while the driving range will partly depend on the weight of the bodywork and associated payload that the E-Chassis has to push around. Nevertheless, Bollinger estimates a 200-mile range for the B1 and B2, and we anticipate the typical E-Chassis outfit will return a similar figure, at least unladen.

While Bollinger didn’t release specs for the E-Chassis’s electric motors, we expect the company to use the same 307-hp units that power the front and rear axles of the B1 and B2. The Bollinger E-Chassis is set to enter commercial use in 2021, likely at a cost far cheaper than that of the estimated six-figure price tags of the B1 and B2. It’ll have competition for third-party upfitting, however: Rivian also is getting into the commercial vehicle game, and has already signed on to provide Amazon with its adorable electric vans.