Electric Vehicle Startup Bollinger Motors Unveils its Battery-powered DELIVER-E Van

author: Eric Walz   

The Bollinger Motors DELIVER-E electric van

Electric truck startup Bollinger Motors has unveiled its new DELIVER-E all-electric delivery van concept. The Michigan-based company said the DELIVER-E offers the same technology and components that are used in the company's rugged electric trucks, which is well suited for the delivery market.

The front-wheel drive, all-electric DELIVER-E platform will be engineered to fit Classes 2B, 3, 4, and 5. Bollinger said that a wide selection of battery packs will be available for the DELIVER-E, including 70, 105, 140, 175, and 210 kWh. 

The company will also offer different wheelbase lengths, providing fleet customers with several mileage range and price options to fit their specific needs, Bollinger said.

The zero emissions electric delivery vehicles are ideal for urban areas since they are quieter and less polluting than diesel or gas-powered vehicles. The electric vehicles also significantly reduce maintenance costs for fleet operators. 

The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) within each class is significantly lower than gas and diesel versions on the road today, Bollinger said. 

"We took our extensive Class 3 electrification knowledge and applied it to the delivery sector," said Robert Bollinger, CEO of Bollinger Motors. "Our DELIVER-E van gives commercial fleets the power to go green and save on ownership costs, while neighborhoods will benefit from a reduction in air and noise pollution."

The DELIVER-E uses the same major components as Bollinger's trucks, including the electric motors, battery, inverters, and gearboxes, the company said. But the vans are built on a new platform created to address the specific needs of delivery vehicles.

The electric van is scalabile to a variety of vehicle classes, including Class 2B, Class 3, Class 4, and Class 5 Choice between battery sizes, including 70, 105, 140, 175, and 210 kWh, the company said. 

The DELIVER-E will also feature a low-load floor height to make loading and unloading easier. Bollinger will also offer 18" variable wheelbases, to accommodate multiple cargo configurations. 

The DELIVER-E van will be built on a high-strength steel frame, designed to a 10-year durability target for the rigors of commercial use.

The rear of the DELIVER-E van.

Bollinger, founded in 2015, is among the new crop of electric truck makers, including Rivian, which is backed by e-commerce giant Amazon and the Ford Motor Company, and Nikola Motor Company. The companies are developing electric models that promise to be more powerful and versatile than conventional internal combustion engine powered trucks.

Like  Bollinger, Rivian is also building electric delivery vans in addition its its pickup truck and SUV. Rivian backer Amazon aims to purchase 100,000 electric vans from the company with plans to start deploying them in 2021. 

The DELIVER-E van will be Bollinger's third electric vehicle. The company first revealed its B1 and B2 electric trucks in Sept 2019. Bollinger plans to take on General Motors, Ford and FCA by offering more utilitarian electric trucks that are more like the original Hummer H1.

Bollinger's battery-powered trucks are dubbed as "sport utility trucks" more closely resembling a Jeep Wrangler or Land Rover Defender. The 4-door B1 SUV has a shorter wheelbase, while the B2 pickup is essentially the same as the B1 with a 20 inch longer wheelbase and extended cargo area.

In June, Bollinger Motors announced that it was granted a U.S. patent for its radical new passthrough and "Frunkgate" design with a front grill that opens like a conventional pickup truck tailgate. The Frunkgate allows extra long cargo to be loaded through the front of both trucks. 

The patented passthrough runs from all the way the back of the truck to the front completely uninterrupted, creating a long, open cargo space that measures 16 feet long. 

When both gates are open, the passthrough channel can fit cargo nearly 20 feet long, such as lumber, ladders or pipes. This unique feature is built into the Bollinger B1 SUV and B2 pickup truck.

Bollinger announced its latest Class 3 E-Chassis in March, which the company says is the world's first and only Class 3 electric platform. It was designed to offer a high level of utility for the commercial electric truck market.

The E-Chassis is the same platform shared with Bollinger's B1 Sport Utility Truck and the B2 pickup. Its also versatile and can accommodate a wide variety of truck bodies. Bollinger's E-Chassis also features Portal gear lifts, which are normally found on rugged off-road or military vehicles.

Class-3 trucks are designated as "medium trucks" and weigh between 10,001-14,000 lbs. Examples of Class-3 trucks are the Ford F-450 pickup and GMC Sierra 3500.

Bollinger Motors said it will work with a manufacturing partner to build the DELIVER-E vans and trucks in the U.S. Production is slated for 2022.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.