The success of Tesla has inspired a number of other startups to try and come up with electric vehicle that could potentially become the next Model S. An American firm called Bollinger Motors is trying that in the SUV segment with the all-new Bollinger B1 which is a “back to basic, no-nonsense” utility vehicle. 

They’re not kidding, the Bollinger B1 does look pretty basic. This is, we imagine, what every 8-year old would draw on the back of his school books after seeing a cool SUV on the street. The B1 makes the Defender look like Lexus. But don’t let that ultra-simplicity fol you, because this ugly bastard has some fairly sophisticated underpinnings. It boasts all-aluminum chassis with a high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steel rollover structure, and 4-wheel independent, hydro-pneumatic suspension. It’s also pretty light which makes it agile and maneuverable.

Then there is the electric powertrain which is the heart of Bollinger B1 Electric SUV. It’s a high-output system with 360 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of torque which translates into a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 127 mph. With that kind of performance the range is not going to be good. The production B1 will offer two lithium ion battery pack options: 60 kWh or 100 kWh, producing either 120 miles or 200 miles in range. One thing we don’t get though, who is the B1 for? I mean, the Hollywood elite sure aren’t going to be interested in this when they have the Model X, and the farmer down in Ohio or wherever who would use a utilitarian vehicle like this probably thinks Electric Vehicle is a Commie plot.

Still, good effort.