In 2014, Bollinger Motors was created in Hobart, NY. It was here in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains that creator Robert Bollinger designed the B1: the world’s first all-electric, on-and-off-road sport utility truck (S.U.T.) And it’s perfect.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Bollinger worked in the design/marketing industry in NYC for twenty years. In 1999, he purchased a cabin in Fleishmanns. “I visited a friend Upstate and fell in love with the Catskills. I started looking for a tiny cabin in the woods right away.” After years of back and forth, his love for the area resulted in a full-time move to his farm, where Bollinger has lived and worked since 2010.
As the designer, Bollinger described the idea for the S.U.T. as a product of necessity: “I needed a stronger, more capable truck to use on my farm. And the small team of engineers we have brought incredible off-road knowledge and credentials to make it more capable off-road than anything on the market.”
The B1 is not only beautiful—it’s innovative. The electric SUT converts easily from full-cab to half-cab, making it the perfect work truck for ranchers, builders, do-it-yourselfers, or anyone looking for an electric vehicle with unparalleled traction, torque, and ground clearance. Engineered from the ground up, the B1 has an all-electric powertrain, unique storage options, all-aluminum chassis, adjustable suspension, and convertible cab panels.
Once manufacturing is finalized, B1 deliveries are targeted to start within 19 months, so we’re looking at 2019 before we see these bad boys on the road. For now, we’ll just have to dream while traversing some of Bollinger’s favorite back roads in the Catskills: Route 30 along the Pepacton Reservoir (“all woods and water, no houses”); Route 23 from Grand Gorge to Stamford (“beautiful valley of farms and old farm houses”), or Route 14 from Delhi through Treadwell (with lots of fun winding roads.”)
For more information, Bollinger Motors’ website. Also check out Bollinger Motors’ YouTube page with footage taken around Delaware County by our friends at Bovina Media Works.
