Reveal: Bollinger B1

The electric revolution is underway. Tesla's meteoric rise has sent established automakers scrambling to revamp their lineups and start-ups are materializing left and right. Most new EVs have fallen into two categories: sleek, luxurious spaceships like the Tesla Model X, or awkward but aerodynamic hatchbacks like the Nissan Leaf. The world's first electric sports utility truck, the Bollinger B1, bucks these trends. Unveiled July 27th at the Classic Car Club in Manhattan, the B1 is a work truck for the future and doesn't pretend to be anything else. With a simple but purposeful design and promising specifications, the B1 should be a hit if it manages to reach production.

The idea for an electric utility truck came to Robert Bollinger, a former advertising executive who had studied design at Carnegie Mellon, after he started a cattle farm in upstate New York. He decided he wanted a truck that could handle farming jobs and all-terrain trekking while also being able to comfortably drive around town and not burn any gas.

Bollinger designer Ross Compton stated that the B1's "ethos is simplicity," and this is immediately visible in the exterior design. The boxy, minimalist body reveals the B1's back-to-basics approach--as Compton affirmed, this is a work truck that "is meant to be used." The designer admitted to benchmarking competitors, and you can spot hints of other off-roaders: the front fascia features Land Rover Defender cues, while the stance is reminiscent of the 2004 Ford Bronco Concept. However, it doesn't feel like Bollinger is stealing these design elements, rather the design is paying homage and repurposing them for the EV era.

One of the most interesting pieces of the exterior design is the space where the grille normally resides; instead there is a metal door that folds down to open the frunk (front trunk). This is one of the few indicators of the B1's powertrain, but the grille-less front fascia doesn't look as odd as other EV's, since the hatch is flanked by two menacing cooling vents. Below sits a jet black bumper carrying tow hooks and a winch, announcing the trucks utilitarian intentions. As a fledgling company, the Bollinger team had many limitations to work around, and one was that the headlight shape had to be kept simple. According to Compton, there was debate over round versus square units, but eventually they landed on round LEDs, which lends the front end a classic mien.

Founder and CEO, Robert Bollinger, with the B1

This retro look is continued throughout the rest of the B1. Exposed rivets give off an industrial, handmade aura, while the relatively thin roof pillars harken back to the first generation Ford Bronco. Along the side, the visible door hinges, large rectangular vent, and knobby off-road tires look gritty and industrial. Out back, the minimalist design language is continued with understated round taillights and straight-edged proportions.

While the design is simple, the combination of tough and classic elements, along with the sinister matte grey and black paint job, creates a badass look: when the prototype emerged from a cloud of smoke at the reveal, it struck me as the perfect ride for a Bond movie villain.

The interior continues the design themes of the exterior: it is pared back but luxurious, similar to retro-modern feel of the Icon-modified Broncos. The dashboard is brushed metal, and unlike nearly every modern car, it is devoid of a touchscreen. Instead, four analog gauges sit behind the steering wheel (including one for the amount of electrical charge) and a round chrome radio sits alone in the center of the dash.

The pass-through tunnel runs the length of the car, and allows
long objects to be loaded easily.

The rear seats fold up to increase trunk space.

The seats are black leather and the inside of the door simply features a handle--opening the window is a manual operation. However, the best feature of the cabin is the full-length storage space. A small pass-through door from the frunk to the cockpit allows long objects that stretch the length of the car, like wood planks, to be easily loaded and transported. Furthermore, the rear seats easily fold up and to the side, increasing the already vast trunk space. Inside, the B1 sticks to its intent as a utility truck, with a minimal but upscale-feeling interior that maximizes usable space. Another helpful feature is the ability to transition the B1 into a two-seat pickup by removing the roof panels and side glass and sliding the C-pillar forward.

With a handsome, retro exterior and a clean, simple interior, the last piece of the puzzle is performance. The Bollinger B1, according to the company, is going to be more than capable enough for day-to-day farm or construction work and cruising around town. The electric powertrain combined with all wheel drive produces 360 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque, which will propel the B1 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and to a top speed of 127 mph. Two battery sizes are available, 60 or 100 kWh, which provide 120 and 200 miles of range respectively. The performance stats best those of other off-road SUVs and pickups, while the range is similar to other electric cars. The B1 also boasts 6100 lbs of towing capacity and 6100 lbs of payload capacity--more than the Jeep Wrangler and on par with midsize trucks like the Chevy Colorado. According to engineer Dan Aliberti, who owns a Wrangler as his daily driver, the B1 has a "relatively smooth ride because of the hydro-pneumatic suspension" while managing to be "more capable than a stock Wrangler."  Should these preliminary specifications translate to the final production version, the Bollinger B1 will prove to be an extremely competent workhorse.

Bollinger is currently working to secure a production partner and hope to have the B1 on sale in 2019. While cost is still unknown, the impressive numbers, simple construction, and attractive exterior should draw in customers looking for a work truck to putt around the construction site or farm in. Hopefully we will begin to see the B1 on roads in just a few years time.

Grades
Front: A
Back: A
Interior: A
Overall: A

An Observation on the Jeep Wrangler

Recently I got a ride in my co-worker's 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, my first time in the legendary offroader. Considering how many I see roaming American streets and the generally positive reviews I often read in magazines, I was expecting an enjoyable ride. Sadly, what I discovered is that the Wrangler is not a very good car.

I know this may be a controversial opinion. And in no way am I claiming that it is an incapable trail specialist. We never left pavement but I trust that it is more than competent off the beaten path. However, on the road the ride is rough and the chassis communicated all of the bumps very clearly. There was also lots of body roll, due to the tall ride height.

The interior was also inferior. Because the doors and roof are removable, they are essentially just a sheet of metal and feel and look very cheap from the inside. Furthermore, the window controls are on the central console for the front seats and the overhead support bar for the rear seats. Not only do these switches feel flimsy, but they clog up the central stack up front and are difficult to reach in the back. The seats were a bit hard and flat, and overall the materials on the dashboard did not feel up to par.

But while I was observing all of these faults, I also came to a realization. I realized that I didn't care that I could feel every jarring bump through the hard seats, that the doors were essentially sheetmetal and didn't feel very safe, that the dashboard cluster was a bit chaotic. I realized why so far this year it is the 9th best selling SUV in America. Despite all of these issues, I felt extremely badass. The ride height and the iconic looks and the removable doors and roof all made me feel 100 times cooler than the surrounding drivers. Most Wrangler customers won't take it offroad, but they want to be able to say they can. It is a car that is bought off of image. It is a confidence-boosting slice of Americana.

And that's what makes it so great.

2017 Kia Sportage

Designer Peter Schreyer is best known for his work on the original Audi TT, widely considered to be one of the most beautiful cars of the early 2000s. He is also responsible for turning around Kia's bland, low-end image by pioneering the bold and stylish "Tiger Nose" grille in the late 2000s. He oversaw the attractive designs that caused the new perception of Kia as modern, fashionable vehicles: the third generation Optima, Forte Koup, Soul, and third generation Sportage. As chief designer of Kia, the Korean automaker has continued to churn out distinctive, appealing designs. The fourth generation 2017 Sportage is yet another striking, mostly handsome vehicle, although it does have a couple of minor faults.

Kia says the fresh design is inspired by modern fighter jets. Some of the design elements are reminiscent of military aircraft--the four round fog lights look similar to the rocket launchers on helicopters like the Boeing AH-64 Apache. Additionally, the orientation of the headlights also makes the SUV look a bit like a fighter jet, creating a distinct, set back cockpit and a seemingly pointy front. However, the fact the headlights are significantly higher on the front fascia than the grille gives it a bug-eyed look. This makes the Sportage stand out in the ever-growing herd of crossovers, but also makes the Kia quite odd looking. Luckily, the intricate details of the front end make up for the slightly awkward orientation. The aforementioned fog lights look phenomenal, and the piano black surfacing in the fog lamp housings and grille looks clean and luxurious. The bi-xenon headlights are beautifully complex, and the light of the inside unit looks like a radioactive symbol--perhaps my favorite detail on the Sportage.

Soft, elegant character lines flow rearwards from the front fender, and defined wheel arches give this crossover a slight off-road presence.  Black plastic cladding wraps around the Sportage, from the front bumper, over the wheel wells, under the doors and back to the rear bumper. Plastic can often make a car look cheap if applied in large quantities, but the Sportage's cladding actually adds to the all-terrain image. Chrome lining surrounds the windows, which end abruptly at the rear wheels, leaving a large C-pillar. While this makes the car look more athletic, it could create a very large blind spot.

The rear fascia of the Sportage looks extremely classy and far more premium than the competitors from Ford, Chevy, Honda, and Toyota. The full-width taillight, with its upscale LED components and chrome strip, is reminiscent of the taillights on the current crop of Lincolns. However, it still gives the the Sportage a sophisticated attitude. This is complemented by the sculpted contours on the trunk and bumper. Two large chrome exhaust pipes adds to the Kia's sporty image, while the silver plastic in the bumper contributes to the luxurious appearance. Despite a slightly awkward front end, the new Sportage features an exquisite, high-end design for an affordable price.

Grade
Front: B+
Back: A-
Overall: A-

Artistic Photo #4

Land Rover Defender at the quarry in Carrara, Italy (Taken on August 19, 2015)

Artistic Photo #1

I am going to start posting an artistic photo of a car every few weeks, just to provide a different look at the automobiles around us. Let me know what you think and if you have any artistic car photos of your own, feel free to email it to me and I'll try post them!

Land Rover Range Rover in New Orleans, Louisiana (Taken in 2014)