Bollinger begins production

US commercial EV start-up Bollinger Motors began serial production of its Class 4 Bollinger B4 chassis cab this week, with first deliveries to customers due next month. And it has announced a manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) of $158,758 for the 2025 B4.

The new B4 will be eligible for combined federal and state incentives that could be in excess of $100,000, or two-thirds of the MSRP. The base B4 can be enhanced with dealer accessories and several factory options, including an e-PTO unit, which will be available in January, to meet a fleet’s specific needs.

“Our team has listened to our customers and created a world-class electric truck to fill an important segment of the Class 4 commercial fleet market,” says Jim Connelly, Bollinger’s chief revenue officer.

“We feel that we are bringing a versatile and valuable truck to market at a competitive price point. When combined with the variety of incentives available to potential customers, we believe the B4 makes the fleet transition to electric a no-brainer.”

Incentive options

Earlier this year, Bollinger received IRS approval as a qualified manufacturer for clean vehicle credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This designation enables the Bollinger B4 to qualify for the IRA’s new credit for qualified commercial clean vehicles, providing eligible purchasers a tax credit of up to $40,000 per vehicle.

In addition, Bollinger was recently California Air Resources Board certified, providing a pathway to California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). When combined with the B4’s $40,000 IRS rebate, HVIP can offer a rebate of up to $60,000, adding up to $100,000 in combined total savings. Additional available state and local incentives could push the total above $100,000, Bollinger suggests.

The firm has enjoyed several recent sales wins, including a 145-vehicle sale to Momentum Group, a 70-vehicle sale to Doering Fleet Management, a 50-vehicle sale to Envirocharge. It has also secured dealer and service centre agreements from Affinity Truck Center, TEC Equipment, Nacarato Truck Centers, Nuss Truck & Equipment, and LaFontaine Automotive Group.

In other milestones, it has secured full warranty coverage of the B4, received a Certificate of Conformity from the Environmental Protection Agency, agreed a battery pack supply deal with US start-up Our Next Energy, and selected Amerit Fleet Solutions as its mobile service provider.

The firm plans to expand its product range with a Class 5 offering in 2025.

Sluggish US market

Consultancy Bloomberg NEF (BNEF) says in a report on medium- and heavy-duty vehicles released this week that the US market for zero-emission trucks remains small, with about 1,000 units sold in H1'24.

The market lacks supply of suitable models, BNEF warns, while a few start-up manufacturers "have failed yet to scale-up production".

"In the US, the zero-emission truck sales share is among the lowest
among advanced trucking markets. Current policies, such as financial
support for purchasing trucks in some states and California’s mandates,
have yet to kickstart the market," it warns.

California’s sales mandates, which have been adopted by another 10
states, are already in place and require between 5pc and 9pc of sales to
be zero-emission already in 2024. Sales in California accounted for over
6pc of the trucks sold in the US in 2023, according to BNEF.

It sees e-trucks mostly used as drayage vehicles in and around ports,
and for distribution of food, beverage and consumer products. In
particular, ports have been an area of focus for fleets and
manufacturers, following funding programs including those provisioned
by the IRA, it concludes.

BNEF finds fleet buyers are mainly based in California, but also in various other states such as Texas, and along the East Coast, including in New York and
New Jersey.