Electric utes are coming, with both the Tesla Cybertruck and the Rivian R1T now expected in 2021, and they will be joined by another contender looking to make an all-electric, hardworking utility truck a solid option for tradies and workers across a wide range of industries.
The new contender, revealed by Michigan-based Bollinger Motors on Thursday (US time), throws another spanner in the works for those that think electric vehicles cannot and will not present a realistic zero emissions alternative to petrol and diesel-fuelled work trucks (known as utes in Australia and pickups in the US).
Remember this? “We are going to stand by our tradies and we are going to save their utes,” was the misplaced cry of small business minister Michaela Cash when an electric vehicle target was proposed by Labor’s then leader Bill Shorten in 2019.
Bollinger’s answer to the doubters is the B2 Chassis Cab (B2CC), a utilitarian piece of Class 3 engineering with the ability to carry a 2.3 metric tonne payload as well as provide an ample energy source for tools from its 120kWh battery pack.
This looks to be one serious piece of kit: with a low centre of gravity, hydro-pneumatic self-leveling suspension (independent both front and rear), all-terrain capabilities, CEO Robert Bollinger says it is aimed not just at your work-a-day tradesperson but also at workers needing a platform for specialised equipment.
To read the full version of this story – and view the photo gallery – on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…
RenewEconomy and its sister sites One Step Off The Grid and The Driven will continue to publish throughout the Covid-19 crisis, posting good news about technology and project development, and holding government, regulators and business to account. But as the conference market evaporates, and some advertisers pull in their budgets, readers can help by making a voluntary donation here to help ensure we can continue to offer the service free of charge and to as wide an audience as possible. Thankyou for your support.
