Mullen Automotive and Bollinger Motors are officially becoming one big brand. Soon to be known as “Bollinger Innovations,” the company is supposed to be committed to consolidation efforts while pivoting entirely toward producing electric vehicles for the commercial market.
“After the consolidation, we are laser focused and confident we will drive our products into the market while being fiscally responsible under one unified brand,” said Jim Connelly, chief revenue officer of Bollinger Motors.
“The consolidation of Mullen and Bollinger brands and operations provides the Company with significant savings in marketing, sales, engineering and operational expenses,” said Jonathon New, CEO for Mullen Automotive.
The reformed duo will allegedly be moving commercial operations to Oak Park, Michigan. They likewise need to update their ticker profile on NASDAQ, with the target date being set for no later than August 15th.
In 2022, Mullen Automotive acquired a 60-percent controlling stake in Bollinger Motors for an estimated $148 million. While some assumed this would be the shot in the arm Bollinger needed to build those boxy B1 and B2 trucks, that never happened. Instead, the company was deemed insolvent and placed into receivership in 2025.
This is another case of all-electric vehicle startups being surrounded by financial curiosities. Mullen Automotive has yet to field a single vehicle of its own and is somehow eligible for various state and federal incentives as approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The plan has been for the company to purchase and repurpose Chinese-made EVs for the United States. Its leadership (particularly chairman David Michery) has likewise fallen under criticism for seeing sizable payouts despite the company remaining unprofitable.
By contrast, Bollinger Motors has actually managed to deliver a scant number of all-electric vehicles by 2024. While they were the boxy and basic utility trucks it originally promoted, pivoting to larger commercial models — most notably the Bollinger B4, which qualifies as a Class 4 truck.
From Mullen Automotive:
Mullen’s commercial EV lineup includes the Mullen ONE, Class 1 EV cargo van, and the Mullen THREE, Class 3 EV cab chassis truck, purpose-built to meet the demands of urban last-mile delivery. Both vehicles are available for sale and in full compliance with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) certifications denoting strict adherence to clean air emissions standards.
The Bollinger B4 Chassis Cab is an all-new, all-electric Class 4 commercial truck designed from the ground up with extensive fleet and upfitter input. Bollinger’s unique Quad-Bend chassis design protects the 158-kWh battery pack and components to offer unparalleled capability, maneuverability, and safety in the commercial market. The vehicle has a 185-mile range, 46-foot turning radius and a payload of 7,325 pounds, making it ideal for a variety of urban operations.
The Mullen ONE is effectively a rebadged Wuling Motors G100 van, whereas the Mullen THREE is a Class 3 truck built by Yueji — a subsidiary of China’s state-owned SAIC Motor.
“These essential measures position the Company for growth in a challenging environment while working towards becoming cash flow positive,” said David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen Automotive.
Adding Bollinger’s B4 to the mix helps round out commercial options. But sales have been limited thus far. Estimates have Mullen selling roughly 100 units since sales commenced last fall.
Skepticism remains, however. EV startups have, frankly, gained a bad reputation. Some of that is down to how difficult regulations (and legacy manufactures) have made it to break into the market. But there are likewise examples of companies seeming like little more than clever ways to shift around money and bilk investors. However, the biggest setback for Mullen and Bollinger is the fact that both initially promised to build passenger vehicles. This drove hype for the brands and undoubtedly helped spur investment capital. But they’ve since pivoted to commercial vehicles.
In their defense, the EV market hasn’t been performing as assumed and now seems slightly oversaturated. The commercial sector presumably seemed like the easier target. Companies are still being incentivized by financial entities and governments to buy electric vehicles. Models intended for work likewise require fewer creature comforts and are not subject to the same safety regulations as passenger cars.
From a financial perspective, this was probably the right play. But we’ve yet to see how it pans out in the long term. Our guess is that Bollinger’s B4 will likely be highly relevant to the business’ success going forward.
[Image: Bollinger]
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