{"id":29669,"date":"2022-08-19T17:48:52","date_gmt":"2022-08-19T21:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=29669"},"modified":"2022-08-19T17:48:52","modified_gmt":"2022-08-19T21:48:52","slug":"meyers-starts-taking-500-deposits-seeking-beta-testers-for-electric-manx-2-0-dune-buggy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=29669","title":{"rendered":"Meyers starts taking $500 deposits, seeking beta testers for electric Manx 2.0 dune buggy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meyers has started taking deposits for its upcoming electric dune buggy, the Meyers Manx 2.0<\/a>, which is slated to ship in 2024. The company is also taking interest in a 2023 \u201cbeta program\u201d for 50 early buyers who will help provide feedback before full production.<\/p>\n

The original Meyers Manx, the first \u201cdune buggy,\u201d was a kit car, built on a modified VW Beetle chassis with a fiberglass body kit. It was popular in desert racing in the 60s, though the company folded in 1971. Bruce Meyers, the founder, brought the company back in 1999 and showed off an\u00a0electric prototype in 2014<\/a>. The company was\u00a0sold to venture capital firm Trousdale<\/a>\u00a0in 2020.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s now back with an electric version, which was first unveiled last week<\/a> at a private event in Malibu.<\/p>\n

While we don\u2019t know pricing yet, Meyers started taking deposits<\/a> today, at $500 a pop. Deposits are fully refundable.<\/p>\n

The company is also searching for interest in its \u201cbeta program,\u201d where 50 early owners will agree to drive their car for a minimum amount of mileage in various conditions over a 12-month period. \u201cBeta pioneers\u201d will share feedback on a regular basis with Meyers to help improve the product, which is capable of over-the-air updates.<\/p>\n

Meyers released some new photos today, including studio photos of the car. Check \u2019em out:<\/p>\n

\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

We also got a better sense of the car\u2019s storage options. As you can see in the photos above, under the hood there is a storage area \u2013 but it only holds a spare tire and tools.<\/p>\n

Behind the seats there\u2019s 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:<\/p>\n

\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"meyers<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

Meyers hasn\u2019t finalized specs yet, but it has shared some estimates. The Manx 2.0 will be available with 20kWh and 40kWh battery options, with the 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 \u2013 but the car itself is tiny after all, only 1,500 or 1,650 lbs, depending on battery size.<\/p>\n

Electrek\u2019s Take<\/h2>\n

It may sound a little silly that early buyers of a product will essentially be signed up for a \u201cjob\u201d of driving around and helping the company with testing, but this is not actually unheard of in the EV space.<\/p>\n

While Meyers calls this program a \u201cfirst-of-its-kind,\u201d there was a similar program with the original BMW Mini E back in 2009. Applicants answered a series of questions, and BMW invited around 500 people to lease these early EVs and provide feedback. This led to BMW\u2019s ActiveE program and later to the BMW i3, which incorporated some feedback from early \u201cPioneers\u201d and \u201cElectronauts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several of the \u201cPioneers\u201d from that program still keep in touch and have gone on to get positions in the EV industry \u2013 such as the author whose words you\u2019re reading right now. The Mini E is where I started my EV journey, and it\u2019s been quite a ride.<\/p>\n

Even for other \u201cnon-beta\u201d cars, early EV owners have often felt somewhat like informal beta testers anyway \u2013 even the Tesla Model 3, a third-generation vehicle, went through a lot of changes in the early days<\/a> based on early owner feedback. Tesla drivers are also currently acting as beta testers for Tesla\u2019s FSD software<\/a>, years after paying thousands of dollars for software they\u2019re still waiting for<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So, given this is Meyers\u2019 first EV, this isn\u2019t really unexpected.<\/p>\n

As for takes on the car itself \u2013 I learned from driving the Mini E that I love small electric two seaters without a lot of cargo space, so it seems like this one is right up my alley. So, if you want to get in line with a Meyers Manx 2.0 deposit, you\u2019ll be standing behind me.<\/p>\n

\n

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.<\/em> More.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n\n

Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos<\/a> and subscribe to the podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n