For those that may be unaware, Tesla, Ford, and Hummer are not the only manufacturers that have shown their intent to produce electric pickups. There have also been entrants from Rivian, Lordstown, and Bollinger, to name a few. However, Bollinger is going a step further. They have introduced a path for fleets to take advantage of their vehicles through a chassis cab configuration option. 

Chassis cab definition

What is a chassis cab? According to Wikipedia,

“Instead of supplying the customer with a factory pre-assembled flatbed, cargo container, or other equipment, the customer is given the vehicle with just chassis rails and a cab. This allows the customer to add any desired aftermarket equipment, such as fire apparatus, ambulance, or a recreational vehicle conversion packages, which can be customized for the specific needs of the customer.”

Who is it for?

Now, Bollinger introduced the B2 Chassis Cab. It’s available with either two, or four doors. The chassis cab can accommodate different wheelbase lengths to allow for the purchaser to decide what works best for their application. For example, a utility bed, bucket truck, or a tow truck can all be configured for the back of the cab. The all-electric, medium-duty, chassis cab vehicle will become available in late 2021, and the hope is that it will appeal to plumbers, electricians, emergency responders, utilities, and any fleet needs a contractor may have. 

The B2 Chassis Cab will come equipped with a 120-kilowatt-hour battery pack running two electric motors. It will have all-wheel drive and be able to handle a 5,000-pound payload. This sounds like the ideal set up for people whose work requires a lot of low-end torque and the ability to throw gear and equipment in the mix. 

The future of pickups

It seems like the future of pickups is electric. Although some companies seem to be vaporware, with no actual samples, Bollinger is one of the few companies that actually have rolling, working samples that they have been showing around. But it remains to be seen how well range for a heavy vehicle configured for commercial accounts will handle the actual work. That range will be different for every type of configuration because the weight will be for every type of configuration. For comparison, the Bollinger pickup, called the B2, has a 200-mile range. 

Although the Bollinger seems to have the capable chops to do the work, the price tag may seem to be a stumbling block for commercial accounts. The Michigan based company has only put the price tag of the pickup and SUV on their website as of this writing. No pricing for the B2 Chassis Cab is available. However, if it anywhere near the pickup price, the bean counters of small business companies may pull back the reigns. The pickup is priced at $125,000. 

Tesla, Ford, Hummer, Atlis, Lordstown, Rivian, and Bollinger are all on a growing list of manufacturers working on electrifying pickups for our future. Bollinger is the first to go after the commercial crowd with its B2 Chassis Cab offering. That might be to their advantage this early in the game if the product shows that it can handle grunt work. In the meantime, the B2 Chassis Cab seems to be a good option for those commercial accounts looking for something a little greener.