Meyers has started getting deposits for its upcoming electric dune pushchair, the Meyers Manx 2 . 0 , which is slated to ship in 2024. The company is also taking interest in a 2023 “beta program” for 50 early buyers who will help provide feedback before full production.
The original Meyers Manx, the first “dune buggy, ” was a kit car, built on a modified VW Beetle chassis with a fiberglass body kit. It was popular in desert racing in the particular 60s, though the company folded within 1971. Bruce Meyers, the founder, brought the organization back in 1999 and showed off an electrical prototype in 2014 . The company was sold in order to venture capital firm Trousdale within 2020.
It’s now back with an electric version, which was first unveiled last week at the private event in Malibu.
While we don’t know pricing yet, Meyers started taking debris today, at $500 a pop. Deposits are fully refundable.
The particular company can also be searching with regard to desire for its “beta program, ” where 50 early owners will agree to drive their vehicle for a minimum amount of mileage in various conditions over a 12-month period. “Beta pioneers” will certainly share feedback on a regular basis with Meyers to help improve the product, which is capable of over-the-air updates.
Meyers released some new photos today, including studio photos associated with the car. Check ’em out:
We also got a better sense of the car’s storage options. As you can see in the particular photos above, under the hood there is a storage area – but it only holds a spare tire and tools.
Behind the seats there’s a rear storage area, which is covered by the tiltable roof but is not lockable. You can get a sense of how it works in these shots from the Malibu reveal:
Meyers hasn’t finalized specs however, but it has shared some estimates. The Manx 2. 0 may be available with 20kWh and 40kWh battery options, with the particular 40kWh battery capable of 0-60 in 4. 5 seconds. These will have estimated ranges of 150 and 300 miles respectively, quite a lot for these smallish batteries – but the vehicle itself will be tiny after all, only 1, 500 or 1, 650 lbs, depending on electric battery size.
Electrek’s Take
It may sound a little silly that early purchasers of the product can essentially be signed up for a “job” associated with driving around and helping the company along with testing, yet this is not actually unheard of inside the EV space.
While Meyers calls this system a “first-of-its-kind, ” there was a similar program with the original BMW Mini E back in 2009. Applicants answered the series of questions, plus BMW invited around 500 people to lease these earlier EVs and provide comments. This led to BMW’s ActiveE program plus later to the BMW i3, which incorporated some suggestions from early “Pioneers” and “Electronauts. ”
Several associated with the “Pioneers” from that will program still keep in touch plus have gone on in order to get positions in the ELECTRONIC VEHICLES industry – such as the author whose words you’re reading right now. The particular Mini E is where I started my EV journey, and it’s been quite a ride.
Even regarding other “non-beta” cars, earlier EV owners have often felt somewhat like informal beta testers anyway – even the Tesla Model 3, a third-generation vehicle, went through the lot of changes inside the early days based on early owner opinions. Tesla drivers are also currently acting as beta testers for Tesla’s FSD software , years after paying thousands of dollars intended for software they’re still waiting for .
So, given this is Meyers’ 1st EV, this isn’t really unexpected.
As for takes upon the car itself – We learned from driving the particular Mini Electronic that I love small electric two seaters without a lot of cargo space, so it seems like this one is right up the alley. So, if you want to get in line with a Meyers Manx second . 0 deposit, you’ll be standing behind me.
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