I've Put a Deposit on a Nimbus EV
My excitement and hesitation about backing an unproven vehicle
After much deliberating, I've put down a deposit to purchase a Nimbus electric vehicle.
What does the deposit mean?
Yeah, it's an odd little vehicle and I have mixed emotions about it. To be clear, it's only a $100 deposit to get your name on the waiting list to secure a Nimbus. They say that the deposit is fully-refundable. So I'm making a commitment but I'm not on the hook to definitely purchase it if things don't work out.
You're probably thinking the same thing I am. How do they hold a vehicle for you with such a low (and refundable) deposit? The base model of the Nimbus is called the Nimbus One and they plan to sell it for just under $10,000 ($9,980 to be exact as of the time of this writing). The upgraded model is called the Nimbus One S and it's the one I've chosen for my deposit. The upgraded model will retail for $13,700. So how does only $100 secure your place in line?
What is it and when will I actually get it?
I could write a whole piece about the difficult path for any transportation startup. How do you create a whole new brand let alone product category? Nimbus certainly has a lot of work to do to even get their first product into the hands of consumers. Right now it should still be considered a concept vehicle. When putting down your deposit you are told to expect delivery of your Nimbus One in Q4 2023 and Nimbus One S in early 2024. But what are the chances that these deadlines are met?
Since I've put down a deposit, I'm clearly rooting for the tiny company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. CEO Lihang Nong seems to know what he's talking about in all the interviews I've seen. They have a decent looking website. What else do you need to see to put your trust in a new car company?
Oh, I should point out that the Nimbus technically can't be called a car. It has 3 wheels (2 in front, 1 in back) and would be classified as an "autocycle". This adds even more to the confusion and possible hesitation to purchase such a thing. It's basically treated like a motorcycle by most jurisdictions. But because it's fully enclosed, you don't need to wear a helmet when you ride it. It has a steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedals, air bags, and traditional "car style" seat belts. But a product like this raises a lot of questions and challenges many of our traditional beliefs about what we need in personal transportation.
As someone who obviously cares enough to make a deposit on such a product, I wanted to write up a few pros and cons about the Nimbus. Maybe think of them less as pros and cons and more like reasons I'm excited about the Nimbus One S and reasons why I'm still a bit nervous to make the full purchase.
Reasons I’m Excited About The Nimbus One
The Nimbus One has plenty of good things going for it. Let’s look at a few specific reasons why I’m excited to drive it.
Carbon Footprint
Let's look at the big obvious thing that the Nimbus has going for it. It's a fully electric vehicle that is far smaller than any other EV on the market. This thing is relatively small and light for a vehicle. It uses less resources. They claim to offer 370MPGe in the city which results in about 93 miles of real-world range on the base model. The more expensive One S increases that range to 128 miles. It can be charged with a standard outlet with no fancy EV charging equipment needed in your home. It has a regular old plug attached to it. You just plug it into any indoor or outdoor wall outlet either at home or while on the go. And it charges fully in about 5.4 hours.
Beyond walking or riding a non-powered bicycle, this is really the type of transportation that has the least impact on the environment. Granted, the Nimbus could have solar collectors on the roof so you'd never have to plug it in (similar to the Aptera) but it's still an amazingly efficient way to get around town.
It also goes without saying that it should be very inexpensive to drive and maintain. You won’t be worried about high gas prices and its electricity requirements will be far less than a larger EV.
Traffic
Speaking of getting around town, this may just be the best vehicle to navigate urban environments and traffic. Its diminuative size allows it to be parked almost anywhere. Put it in a motorcycle spot. Park it perpendicular to the curb in the tiniest of spaces. Or heck, you can even bring it on the curb in a pinch and leave it places where you'd normally park a bike. The stress of finding parking spots in a city would basically disappear.
And we all know how cities can be gridlocked with traffic. In some states like California, motorcycles are allowed to "lane split" and weave between lanes of traffic. The Nimbus will have that ability as well. As a low emissions vehicle, it will have full use of carpool lanes and can squirm through any traffic jam like a motorcycle. All while being fully enclosed and protected by the elements. If you're commuting in traffic every day, this could be a total game changer. It's as good for the environment as public transportation but should take you a fraction of the time no matter what the traffic situation is.
Cool Factor
The aesthetics may not be for everyone, but I think there is something undeniably cool about driving a vehicle that is uncommon. The Nimbus will certainly turn some heads if you’re zipping around town with it. I think we’re heading to a not-so-distant future where there will be all sorts of odd driving machines with 1, 2, 3, 4, or more wheels. The Nimbus will probably look boring by that point, but for the next few years it will still be a novelty.
I’ve had people stop and ask me questions about my electric bike and that is a far more mainstream vehicle than the Nimbus. There is a certain cool factor when driving something that people haven’t seen before and want to learn more about. And reducing your carbon footprint is always a good look. When you’re driving arguably the most environmentally friendly vehicle on the market, you should be the envy of all your friends.
Reasons To Question The Nimbus One
The Nimbus isn’t without its shortcomings. Let’s look at some reasons to question its viability.
Safety
This is a big one. Will this vehicle be safe? While Nimbus is planning to conduct its own crash tests and safety inspections, the Nimbus One won’t need to live up to all the same safety requirements as its four-wheeled brethren. Since it only has three wheels, it is scrutinized differently. Will it be safer than riding a motorcycle? Sure. Will it be almost as safe as driving a SmartCar or Mini Cooper? It’s hard to say.
Any vehicle that weighs less will likely come out worse in any head-on collision. The Nimbus will have seatbelts, a roll cage, and at least one airbag. If you’re comparing it to a car, it likely won’t make you feel as safe or secure. But if you’re comparing it to a bike or scooter that you drive at relatively low speeds around town, then it should be plenty safe.
The other thing to keep in mind is that Nimbus claims the tiny rear seat is compatible with child safety seats. I’m skeptical but being able to tote around my kid makes this vehicle way more useful. Typically child seats are unable to be placed in front seats. The Nimbus One has an odd single-file seating format. So the back seat is somewhat protected like it would be in a traditional car (albeit much more cramped). I’m not sure they’d make the claim to connect a child seat if they hadn’t already gained clearance to include the proper hooks and connectors.
Practicality
Is this a practical vehicle? We know it’s good for the environment but can it fill all the daily needs of a car or even a motorcycle for that matter? We all know that a majority of car trips only include the driver. Most excursions require minimal cargo capacity and passenger seats usually remain empty. So the Nimbus should be fine for those trips right?
The biggest difference between the base Nimbus One and the upgraded One S is top speed. The Nimbus One can only reach a top speed of 50 MPH. That makes it an impractical vehicle for plenty of people. You can’t safely drive on the freeway at that speed and you’ll be limited to local roads and city streets. Most road trips will be off limits even if you find charging stations along the way.
The One S can hit 75 MPH and has a slightly longer range. This is the big reason I chose it over the base model. 75 MPH can give you access to the freeway so you have fewer compromises.
I’m still curious to know what it feels like to actually go that fast in this thing. It’s also important to mention that the Nimbus relies on a tilting mechanism similar to the feeling of leaning into turns on a motorcycle. It’s this engineering that allows it to be so small yet stable enough to reach high speeds. But will this tilting feeling make me nauseous on the freeway? I certainly hope not. My guess is that they still have some refinements to make in order to safely hit those speeds while keeping things comfortable for the driver and potential passenger.
Price
The price point here is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you won’t find a fully-electric car anywhere for $10K. Even the increased price of nearly $14K for the Nimbus One S seems affordable when average EV prices are triple that. But you’re still making some sacrifices here. You obviously don’t have the cargo capacity and the interior won’t feel as comfortable as a standard car.
You’re almost getting 75% of the value of a car with something like a Nimbus. You can bring along one passenger with you (or some groceries) but not really both. The roof rack on top and cargo shelf on the rear are helpful but still make it difficult for this to be the sole vehicle for anyone but the most minimal solo urbanite.
For about $12K more than the One S you can get a 4-door EV like the Chevy Bolt or Nissan Leaf. Two cars that likely won’t turn as many heads as the Nimbus but they’ll almost certainly be more practical at their price point. $12K isn’t a small difference, but it makes you question the value of the Nimbus a bit.
I think if the sub-$10K model was able to reach freeway speeds and all safety and tilting concerns were addressed, it would be a no-brainer for a lot of people. But those are big ifs.
Conclusion
So yes, I’m still really excited for the Nimbus to come to fruition. I still consider it to be somewhat of a nebulous thing until I actually see pictures of them being manufactured on the assembly line. I know that it is 100% possible that the company folds in the next few months and I never receive my Nimbus One S.
But right now I’m still optimistic. By no means am I a car guy or gear head. I love technology but have no experience working on cars and this is really the first vehicle that has made me excited to drive. I’ll be keeping close tabs on how Nimbus is growing.
My pre-order number is #1387. So it would reason to believe that only 1,386 other people have put down a deposit before me. That doesn’t seem like a huge number but it’s also hard to give any amount of money to an unproven company for a vehicle that may or may not appear in well over a year’s time.
Either way, it’ll be a fun journey and I’ll be sure to share relevant updates on Nimbus as we inch closer to a potential delivery date.
Anyone else willing to put down a deposit for a Nimbus?
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
P.S. - Hey, it’s almost the end of the year! Could you use some help reviewing what worked for you this year and what could be better for 2023? Need some help building positive habits or ditching negative ones? Iterating on a new business idea and need some guidance? Or maybe you just want to say hello and pick my brain for a bit, that’s fine too! If you’d like to chat, feel free to book some time with me here!
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