Just when you thought that I was never going to write about the notorious Nimbus EV again! It’s 2026, and I have somewhat of a Nimbus update.
For those who aren’t aware, my pieces on the ill-fated Nimbus are some of my most-read posts. I think it’s mostly due to curious early adopters like me who are scouring the Internet for any nugget of information they can find on the tilting American Autocycle that never was.
No, Nimbus hasn’t come back to life. NimbusEV.com is still a dead site. And when you perform a Google search for “Nimbus EV”, I’m proud to say that my writing has now surpassed the official (but dead) Nimbus website in the search ranking! So that is likely how many of you are stumbling upon these words and my work. I’m sad that the Nimbus story ended the way it did. But I am glad that you found me!
So why am I re-kicking the proverbial tires on the Nimbus today? It’s because I finally found a semi-comparable replacement. No, it doesn’t have three wheels. And it’s not made by a hot new disruptive company. Nope, it comes from a company that got its start way back in 1916.
I’ve never considered myself a “car guy”. I’m certainly more of a “tech guy” or “gadget guy” if I had to slap on a label. But somehow, I now have a driveway that is home to two BMW electric vehicles. The iX and the i3. These shouldn’t be confused with the forthcoming vehicle appropriately called the iX3. Naming cars is such a silly game. The iX has been great as the larger, long-distance SUV family hauler in the last year that we’ve had it. But I’ve still had an itch for a more minuscule ride for city driving and short trips when the weather isn’t bike-friendly.
Yes, after a long courting period I finally admitted that the BMW i3 was the closest Nimbus relative I was going to be able to obtain in the foreseeable future. And I get it. The i3 is much more of a car than the strange self-balancing motorcycle pod that was the Nimbus. It’s a concession of sorts. I had to admit to myself that the future isn’t here quite yet. The i3 will have to stand-in as the placeholder until we get to the glorious future where we can buy actual small electric vehicles that can still travel at high speeds and carry cargo. Right now, the cars just aren’t compact enough in the US. And the electric motorcycles and e-bikes just don’t have the utility and long range comfort of an enclosed automobile. And believe me, I’m still rooting for the enclosed e-bike solution too.
So what is it about the i3 that makes it so unique? I don’t have to preach to the choir of i3 enthusiasts on the Internet. Spend five minutes on reddit or the BMW forums and you’ll see that this car obviously has a cult following. It’s a vehicle that still feels like it was created in the not-too-distant future but it also hasn’t been made in five years. It’s like the folks at BMW who designed it were able to glimpse into a magic window where they could view the future. But then the window was slammed shut, and maybe the house containing the window was also demolished. The point is, there just aren’t other vehicles for sale right now in California that have the same utility and comfort in such a small footprint. You can clearly see the design inspiration when comparing the interiors of the Nimbus and i3. Natural wood tones, an airy greenhouse vibe, and doors that open at unconventional angles.
The only comparable electric hatchbacks of similar size could be the Fiat 500e or the electric Mini Cooper. They’re both totally suitable small electric vehicles but seem to lack the futuristic feeling of the i3. The Fiat doesn’t maximize its usable space as well. The Mini does look great but it feels too similar to its gas-powered sibling. The i3 doesn’t really have any peers.
And that’s not to say the i3 is perfect, no vehicle ever is. While the latest model years still feel relatively modern as long as you’re getting the larger dashboard screen and BMW app connectivity, the car is still showing its age a bit. The 120ah battery is rated to give 153 miles on a full charge. Of course that could vary a bit in either direction given the conditions and your driving style. But if you’re looking for an EV with huge range, you’ll definitely find better options than the i3.
Sure, it can be specced out with driving assistance and convenient technology packages. But if you’re used to autonomous driving on any modern EV, the i3’s version of this will feel like it’s from the stone age.
Throw those things aside and just look at the rough comparison to the Nimbus. To be fair, the Nimbus was never more than a trade show prop that made a few test drive appearances. So take all of its claims with a grain of salt. It never fully ramped up manufacturing and we can never really be sure what was fact and what was fiction. Having said all that, the higher spec Nimbus that I put down a deposit for was able to achieve highway speeds (75 mph) and offer roughly 128 miles of range. That is fairly close to the i3.
The biggest difference in my mind was the ability to lane split through traffic with the Nimbus. As nimble as the i3 is, it can’t legally skirt through a California rush hour traffic jam. That’s the same thing that can be said for all cars that aren’t motorcycles, so it’s not really a knock on the i3. It’s just that an enclosed vehicle that is immune to traffic is really the ultimate California dream.
So I’ll keep my eyes open for a true Nimbus successor. The folks at Organic Transit seem to be making good progress on bringing the ELF back to life. I think that’s an awesome design that would be great for many people. But it’s not a vehicle that can reach highway speeds. It competes with an electric cargo bike in my mind more than a small car. And I think that Wink Motors is super interesting with their microcars. Sadly, none of them can legally drive faster than a Class 3 e-bike. Maybe there is a world where tariffs and import laws change and it’s viable to import similar microcars to the US from Europe or Asia. If that form factor can safely allow for travel at 65 mph or faster, it could work in the US. Finally, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if someone purchases what’s left of Nimbus and tries to give it another go. It would give me more to write about as this saga has been a joy for me to follow over the past few years.
Until then, I’ll likely still ride my bike most places. But when I need an actual enclosed automobile, the BMW i3 is still the best option right now.
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Love this! Our family's vehicle needs are similar. We have one "family/longer distance" car and one car that I drive for around town. I've often pined for some sort of velomobile (nimbus included), but also resigned to the fact that the cost/compromises probably don't make sense. I too looked long and hard at the i3, but ended up with an eGolf SEL. Similar mileage restraints (which aren't an issue for me) ... super fun to drive ... and to my eye slightly smaller than the i3 which makes parking a breeze. Not sure I made the perfect decision as the i3 is super cool ... but replacing my eGolf anytime soon seems unlikely.