In a significant blow to the electric vehicle (EV) sector, a prominent commercial truck manufacturer has ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy protection. The company, Bollinger Motors, shut its doors in November after failing to meet its payroll obligations.
Financial Troubles Lead to Collapse
Bollinger Motors, founded in 2015, initially gained attention with the reveal of its B1 SUV prototype for consumers in 2017. The company later pivoted to focus on manufacturing commercial electric trucks at its facility in Michigan, USA.
However, the firm's financial stability was short-lived. Its difficulties culminated in missing two payroll periods in November 2025, forcing an immediate halt to all business activities. This closure comes just six months after the company emerged from a previous receivership, highlighting the ongoing challenges within the EV startup landscape.
UK's Proposed EV Tax Faces Legal Scrutiny
The news of Bollinger's collapse coincides with growing controversy in the United Kingdom over proposed new taxes for electric and hybrid vehicle drivers. Following Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Autumn Budget, the UK is on the verge of introducing a pay-per-mile levy.
Under the current proposals, set to begin in 2028, drivers would be charged based on their car's odometer readings. Electric car drivers would pay 3p per mile, while plug-in hybrid owners would face a 1.5p charge.
However, the policy has sparked significant legal concerns. A major point of contention is that the charges would apply to all miles recorded, including those driven outside the UK on roads in France, Spain, or other countries.
Human Rights and Judicial Review Challenges
Legal experts are now warning that the policy's structure could leave it vulnerable to court challenges. Andrew Sanderson, a lawyer at the firm Kingsley Napley, has stated the scheme could be contested through a judicial review.
"It could open the door to judicial review arguments that the measure is irrational or disproportionate," Sanderson explained. He highlighted the government's justification that revenue will maintain UK roads, asking, "Taxing miles driven in France or elsewhere, which plainly contribute nothing to the wear and tear on UK infrastructure, risks undermining that rationale."
He further suggested the tax could be portrayed as an arbitrary revenue-raising mechanism rather than a fair road-use charge. Sanderson added that "potential challenges grounded in human rights and public law principles may arise," noting that while taxation is permitted, it "must pursue a legitimate aim and strike a fair balance" with an individual's right to the peaceful enjoyment of their possessions.
The dual developments underscore a period of turbulence for the electric vehicle industry, marked by corporate instability and contentious new fiscal policies aimed at the growing number of zero-emission drivers.
