Bollinger Motors, the startup that canceled its electric B1 SUV and B2 pickup to focus on commercial vehicles, has announced Roush Industries as its manufacturing partner.
Roush will assemble Bollinger's line of all-electric platforms and chassis cabs for commercial vehicles in Classes 3 through 6, the EV startup said in a press release.
The company added that it will source and provide all materials for Roush to assemble its all-electric vehicle platforms and chassis cabs in a fully staffed, operational, and scalable facility in Livonia, Michigan, located 20 miles of Bollinger's Oak Park HQ.
"We will be building state-of-the-art vehicles from day one right here in Michigan. Roush has significant engineering and assembly history, and we're excited to work with them to provide our commercial fleet customers with exceptional electric vehicles."
Robert Bollinger, founder and CEO of Bollinger Motors
Bryan Chambers, Bollinger Motors' chief operating officer, added that Roush Industries will help the company hit its quality and production targets confidently. He also noted that Roush's "knowledge base and track record in working with both startups and established OEMs was a big part of our decision."
Gallery: Bollinger Motors upfitter platform for electric commercial vehicles
As part of the deal, Bollinger Motors will also work closely with Roush on assembling pre-production units and performing validation testing before the ramp-up to production.
"Our proven processes are engineered to bring products to market quickly and efficiently, while meeting OEM-level quality standards. With fully scalable manufacturing, we can grow with Bollinger Motors to meet the growing need from its fleet customers as they convert to electric vehicles."
Brad Rzetelny, vice president of Roush Flexible Assembly
Bollinger's platforms range in size from Class 3 through Class 6 and will underpin the chassis cabs that will be used in various applications such as flatbed tow trucks, box trucks, walk-in vans, buses and specialized trucks. The vehicles will target fleet customers who convert to EVs.
At the New York Auto Show last month, Bollinger said it was working on a Class 3 walk-in van for New York power company Con Edison. In addition, late last year Bollinger signed an agreement with EAVX, a JB Poindexter & Co-owned product development and engineering firm specializing in commercial EVs.
This will allow customers who buy Bollinger chassis cabs to have them upfitted with a custom body from EAVX or another one of Poindexter's divisions.
The Roush announcement comes after Bollinger canceled its two boxy EVs that would have been offered to consumers. Since then, the company has been focusing on commercial vehicles. Bollinger did not offer details on the production start date or pricing.
Learn more about Bollinger Motors' electric commercial vehicle initiatives
Source: Bollinger Motors via Automotive News