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Nimbus’ tiny EV prototype resembles a motorcycle with a roof


As shared e-scooter companies have penetrated the cities and e-bike With sales skyrocketing, micromobility is seen as a panacea to save us all from the bad noises and cramped streets caused by gas-guzzling cars. However, one of the major barriers facing well-intentioned city dwellers who want purchase Bulky and environmentally unfriendly means of e-bikes or scooters remain: What happens when it rains?

Nimbus, based in California tram startup, wanted to solve that problem with a simple solution: Put a roof over it.

The company recently broke out of stealth with a prototype for the Nimbus One, a tiny three-wheeler EV that “combines the convenience and cost of a motorcycle with the safety and comfort of a motorcycle.” A car.”

This slim, car-like vehicle is only about 2.75 feet wide and 7.5 feet long, which Nimbus says makes it three to five times smaller than a compact car — the better for parking and maneuvering. direction on busy urban streets. It also has room behind the driver’s seat for another passenger or space for things like groceries. Nong says the rear seats of the Nimbus will have an ISOFIX score for child seats.

The vehicle also tilts, like a motorcycle or scooter, due to Nimbus’ proprietary tilting technology.

“The scooter is fun, but it’s also dangerous, but it leans backwards, so that’s fun,” said Nong. TechCrunchNote ahead air bag in Nimbus. “Our vehicle does the same thing, but it loses its skill. So my mom can get in and start driving. Have you ever driven a boat? It steers like a the boat. You turn left and it rushes to the Left.”

The Nimbus One is classified as an automatic cycle vehicle in the US, meaning it’s “best of both worlds,” according to Nong.

“We don’t have to go through these rigorous, very expensive and lengthy processes to get our vehicle certified,” says Nong. “But also, the driver doesn’t need a motorcycle driver’s license, so anyone with a car driver’s license can use our car. They do not need to wear helmets. “

Since the Nimbus is built for city driving, not highway driving, it has a top speed of 50 mph. Its 9 kWh the battery has a range of 93 miles and a charge time of 1.2 hours on a Level 2 charger or 5.4 hours on a household power source, according to the company. Take a page out Books by GogoroNimbus batteries are removable, replaceable, and can be charged at the owner’s own home.

The minimalist interior of the Nimbus One includes a display screen, Bluetooth speakers, power windows, fast phone charging, optional heating and air conditioning. The vehicle also has forward collision warning and additional features that can be delivered to the vehicle with ongoing updates, according to the company.

Pre-orders for Nimbus One started over the weekendThe test drives will be available within a month, Nong said. The cars themselves will cost around $9,980 to buy outright, but the company also plans to offer them as a subscription service for $200 per month.

Nimbus expects the first deliveries from pre-orders to happen in Q3 2022, but the company has yet to choose a launch city. Nong said Nimbus will roll out city-by-city, in part so that the company can set up tailored after-sales service to maintain vehicles in each city as it grows.

Nong said that while he expects the majority of Nimbus’ business to come from direct-to-consumer sales, the startup is also in talks with a number of shared micro-mobile device operators. sharing, other vehicle sharing programs, and food and grocery delivery companies. All vehicle functions, such as door locks, power windows, speakers and even the steering system, brake and vehicle speed can be controlled through Nimbus’ central console and accessed via an API, making the vehicles highly compatible with the media sharing program. Additionally, up to four replaceable 2.2 kWh battery packs can be fitted to the vehicle, a feature that has the potential to cut costs associated with charging shared fleet vehicles.

Of course, production costs for any vehicle have never been higher than it currently is, so Nimbus will need one more lap to get it into production. The startup wants to raise $20 million in equity and $10 million in debt for its Series A, as well as bring on a client who is also a strategic investor.

Nimbus closed a $4.7 million seed round last August and expects investors from that round — Thiel Capital, JAM fund, Conscience, Ponooc and Gaingels — to move on to the next round. .



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