Bollinger is the latest EV maker to get into the electric van market with its new Deliver-E model.

(This story has been updated with new information.)

It used to be news when a new electric car was being created, now the electric van market is hot and Bollinger Motors is the latest EV maker with a product for the segment, unveiling its new Deliver-E all-electric delivery van concept.

Although it hasn’t formally announced any contracts from customers, Bollinger is jumping into the segment already filling up with offerings from Rivian, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Ford and Lordstown Motors just to start, due to a bit of a nudge.

“The development to date has been specifically for companies that came to us looking for an all-electric delivery solution. Robert Bollinger, CEO of Bollinger Motors, told TheDetroitBureau.com in an email. “The orders from those companies will be based on next steps in working with them.”

(Bollinger unveils new customizable work truck.)

The Deliver-E is designed to eliminate some of the issues that plague delivery vans.

Bollinger added that a number of companies recognized the EV maker’s expertise in the all-electric Class 3 space, in particular the new Chass-E platform introduced in March.

“They asked if it could be used for delivery vans,” Bollinger said.

“We pointed out that the off-road capabilities of the Chass-E would not be the best fit for delivery vans, so we developed an all-new platform that fit their specs. All while using the same components (motors, gearboxes, battery packs, etc.) as our consumer trucks. So it was a natural fit to take the 5 years of engineering we have into our all-electric Class 3 trucks and put it into an all-electric Class 3 delivery van.”

Bollinger, which jumped into the electric vehicle market with its rough-and-tumble heavy-duty electric pickup and SUV models, is offering the Deliver-E as a front-wheel drive, all-electric platform. It will be engineered to fit Classes 2B, 3, 4 and 5, and claims the Total Cost of Ownership, or TCO, within each class will be “significantly lower than gas and diesel versions on the road today.”

A wide selection of battery packs will be available, including 70, 105, 140, 175, and 210 kWh. Coupled with variable wheelbase lengths, the fleet customer will have a wide array of mileage range and price options to fit their specific needs.

Officials say the new van will be built with a “manufacturing partner’ in the U.S.

(Detroit-area startup Bollinger unveils new E-Chassis.)

Again, no customers have been announced and no pricing made available, but Bollinger officials say they are working with “a manufacturing partner” to build the vehicles in the U.S. Production is slated to begin sometime in 2022.

Some of the features of the new van include:

• Low-load floor height of 18 inches
• Variable wheelbases, to accommodate multiple cargo configurations
• Scalability to a variety of vehicle classes, including Class 2B, Class 3, Class 4, and Class 5
• Choice between battery sizes, including 70, 105, 140, 175, and 210 kWh
• High-strength steel frame, designed to a 10-year durability target

The Deliver-E uses many of the same major components — including motors, battery, inverters, and gearboxes — as the rest of the Bollinger Motors portfolio. However, the van is based on a new platform created to address the specific needs of delivery vans.

The delivery van is clearly an outgrowth of the new Chass-E that rolled out just as the pandemic hit the U.S. in March. The new patent-pending chassis is, company officials noted at the time of its debut, the world’s first-ever Class 3 electric platform. It’s designed to specifically for commercial vehicle applications.

Bollinger’s been busy in 2020, debuting a new customizable battery-electric work truck.

It didn’t take long for the Detroit-area EV maker to show off the first commercial vehicle from that platform. The B2CC is the world’s first and only Class 3 all-electric chassis-cab truck platform, the company proclaimed in late April, adding it will offer unlimited work truck variants.

(Q&A with EV startup’s founder Robert Bollinger.)

“The Bollinger B2 Chassis Cab’s unique features – including the 5,000-lb. payload and large energy source to power tools – make it perfect for businesses, small and large,” said CEO Robert Bollinger, whose company may be best known for its B1 and B2 electric sport-utility and pickup truck.