Bollinger Motors stopped working on November 21, 2025. The workers got an official email from the HR saying the office was closing because they couldn’t pay staff twice in a row. Still, it’s quiet end for a brand that wanted to shake up the electric truck industry.
Bollinger Motors started back in 2015 with one straightforward idea to build electric trucks built for real jobs, rough terrain, or weekend adventures. Its founder, Robert Bollinger came from a mix of worlds: ad campaigns natural food biz, even managing livestock. But it was actually working on the farm that sparked his urge to make a rig strong enough to haul gear, tackle steep trails, yet still feel enjoyable behind the wheel.
In 2018, the crew moved from New York to Michigan -wanted to stay close to the car part makers and sharp engineers. At first, just a small group on the team shared living space, building rough versions of what’d become the B1 SUV along with the B2 truck.
The Early Buzz and Big Promise
Bollinger Motors caught eyes fast. Back in 2017, they dropped the B1 – a tough, no-frills electric SUV truck. Nearly 50,000 people put down their deposits. Folks loved its old-school look, the high ground clearance or its great ability to handle rough trails.
The B1 and B2 had the same core features:
- Two motors
- 360 horsepower
- Up to 200 miles on a single charge, plenty for daily use without stopping
- Over a foot of space under the vehicle
- Payload holds up to 5,000 lbs, built tough without fluff
- Price of $125,000
The trucks looked bold and fresh, lots thought Bollinger could shake up the EV world. Still, neither model ever hit full production.
Funding That Looked Promising but Was Not Enough
Bollinger Motors got solid cash support during its run. The state of Michigan chipped in $3 million altogether. On top of that, founder Robert Bollinger added personal funds into the mix.
Back in 2022, the big move was Mullen Automative teaming up with Bollinger. For $148.2 million, Mullen ended up owning 60% of Bollinger. On paper, it looked perfect – like everything just clicked. Mullen needed solid battery tech; Bollinger had sharp truck blueprints ready. But once they joined forces, things got things got messy instead. Money troubles popped up, one after another, on both ends.
Later on, they scraped together extra cash – $10 million came from Robert Bollinger in 2024, while Mullen chipped in more funds by 2025. All that said, about $148 million had been pumped into the business, which is crazy. Still, despite that, Bollinger Motors ended up building just 40 trucks before landing in legal oversight come May 2025.
The Shift That Actually Worked: The B4 Commercial Truck
Bollinger Motors noticed that interest didn’t always convert into buying, so it smartly shifted gears towards trucks instead. And because of this move, the B4 Class 4 electric model came to life, now the sole vehicle they actually built for customers.
Features of the B4:
- 185-mile range
- 7,325-pound payload capacity
- Fits criteria for a $40,000 government rebate
- Made in collaboration with Roush Industries
The B4 got real customers to lock in purchases, including several fleets where deals covered over 300 units altogether. Production kicked off in September 2024, so cash flow should hit during 2025. At one point, things looked like they might settle down.
Still, things at the office had gotten way out of hand by then.
Why Bollinger Motors Closed Its Doors
Bollinger’s move to close things down didn’t come from just one reason. It came together, with the money troubles, work problems, along with shaky management – all piling up at once.
1. Underestimating the Cost of Vehicle Production
Even though the company brought in more than $100 million, cash ran low when trying to expand. Building a vehicle takes serious funding right from the start – factories, parts networks, safety checks, warranty plans all add up. Because of this, Bollinger Motors found itself deep in a funding gap.
2. Misaligned Parent Company
Mullen Automotive struggled with money problems. The firm faced big losses while sales kept dropping, then got kicked of Nasdaq. When the main company is shaky, it can’t rescue a failing branch.
3. Supplier Payment Failures
Bollinger Motors couldn’t cover key supplier costs. Because of that, Roush Industries froze operations at their factory. Other vendors took legal action over missing payments. When suppliers pull back, everything starts collapsing, output stops so the company eventually runs out of time.
4. Leadership Gaps and Internal Breakdowns
Chatting revealed almost no shift in how things stood, talked mostly about pay checks coming late, goals missed, while plans stayed unclear. Rather than hiring more folks, headcount actually dropped. Top people spoke up, sharing concerns, yet money flow dragged on like it always did.
5. A Lawsuit That Demonstrated the Company’s Internal Issues
Robert Bollinger, who started the company, sued Mullen over a personal loan they didn’t pay back. When someone like him drags their own firm to court, it often means things such as trust or teamwork broke down long before. Yet legal action makes everything public, showing cracks once hidden behind closed doors. While people might expect quiet fixes, this move suggests talks went nowhere. So instead of smoothing issues internally, he chose confrontation. Because relationships clearly deteriorated, compromise seemed impossible later on.
6. The Hype That Became Their Burden
The excitement at first raised expectations so much that the firm couldn’t keep up. While folks waited for the B1 or even the B2, neither made it past early test versions. Once production finally started on the B4, people had already stopped believing.
Key Lessons from the Shutdown
The collapse of Bollinger Motors shows, pretty clearly what it actually takes to stick around in the electric vehicle game; resilience isn’t enough when cash runs dry while innovation without timing can backfire badly.
1. EV Manufacturing Needs Huge Capital
Building a basic version? That’s straightforward. Scaling it up though -that’s another story altogether. Most new companies need to expect losses year afteryear before turning any profit.
2. Choose Investors Carefully
If your partner’s struggling with money, that could sink your business, even if what you’re selling works well.
3. Protect Supplier Relationships
Suppliers power the car-making world. If they skip payments, suddenly everything grinds to a halt, without any warning.
4. Execution Matters More Than Hype
In the end, what really matters is how well things are made, shipped, delivered on top of solid support, not hype at launch or promises from pre-sales.
5. Governance and Accountability Are Essential
If bosses skip the meetings or stay quiet, the entire team ends up paying the price.
The Bigger Picture for EV Startups
Bollinger Motors started strong -real vehicles on roads, early buyers lined up, business deals locked in, alongside solid partnerships. Yet promise by itself won’t build something lasting. The closure shows just how shaky electric vehicle ventures can be when money, decision-makers, or parts networks don’t sync right.
The story of Bollinger Motors isn’t just about falling short. Instead, it shows how smart concepts need solid follow-through, focused direction, alongside trustworthy allies. Otherwise, any electric vehicle startup, no matter how bright, might quietly fade away.
