- Bollinger, a startup preparing to launch unusual-looking electric SUV and pickup models, has announced that it applied for a patent in mid-November to protect its vehicle designs, both externally and internally.
- The two vehicles, the B1 SUV and the B2 pickup truck, are both covered by the patent as they are similar in nature.
- The trucks are expected to go into production this year with deliveries beginning in 2021.
It’s no secret that the electric trucks that Bollinger has designed are unique in nature. The all-electric B1 SUV and B2 pickup truck, both Class 3 vehicles, have a boxy design with squared-off edges and corners. And now, as the company creeps toward production, the electric vehicle maker has filed for patents to protect their design.
The patent covers the design of the vehicles, both internally and externally. Bollinger noted in a press release that the way in which components such as the motors, inverters, and gearboxes are centrally arranged—which favorably alters the vehicle's center of gravity—makes them different from other production vehicles.
Other aspects of the Bollinger vehicles covered in the patent include the vehicle-control strategy and software related to adjustable ride height, variable payload responses, virtual differentials, and operating modes. Bollinger says there are several other general components covered by the patent, from mechanical and electrical architecture to the drivetrain and configurability of the vehicles. The actual patent (application number 62936929) isn’t appearing on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website, suggesting it isn't public yet.
Both the B1 and B2 are expected to go into production sometime this year with deliveries beginning in 2021, priced at about $125,000 for either vehicle. They can be reserved online with a $1000 deposit.
Colin Beresford, a born and raised metro Detroiter, has been surrounded by the auto industry his entire life. For most of his formative years, he didn’t know who in their right mind would drive anything but an American-made car. He’s passionate about all the ways that people get around, even if it doesn’t involve a car or a driver. What he looks for in a vehicle is simple: it needs to be able to get him where the skiing, climbing, backpacking, or fly fishing is.
