We now have pricing for the Meyers Manx 2.0 EV and it’s not cheap
Meyers held an event at Pebble Beach to announce its new Resorter NEV, a lower-speed version of its upcoming Manx 2.0 electric dune buggy. At the event we also learned pricing for the 2.0 EV, and it’s a lot higher than we had hoped.
The Meyers Manx 2.0 EV is a resurrection of the iconic original dune buggy, which started off as a kit car built on a modified VW Beetle chassis. The car was popular in the 1960s as a desert racer and beach cruiser. The kit cost around $500-$1,000, in 1967 dollars, plus whatever it cost to get the various VW Beetle parts you needed to complete the build.
But the 2.0 is its own beast, built from the ground up as a tiny 1,500lb all-terrain EV, with a choice of a 20 or 40 kWh battery, 60kW charging, with 202hp and 0-60 in 4.5 seconds for the bigger-battery version – and no doors.
From the look and specs of it, it seems like it would be a blast to drive, especially for those who live in areas with good weather, like Newport Beach, California, where the original Meyers kit car was first conceived in a garage and where the new incarnation of Meyers – now owned by venture capital firm Trousdale – is still headquartered.
Meyers Manx 2.0 EV price: $74,000
And today, we learned how much the Meyer Manx 2.0 EV will set you back, and the price is higher than we wished: $74,000. Meyers has only released the base price, so we don’t know how much options will cost – in particular how much the upgraded 40kWh battery will set you back over the base 20kWh version.
Meyers had set expectations high from the start, holding introductory events in Malibu and Pebble Beach, not areas known for bargain-hunting. And the company plans to use pricey materials in the vehicle’s construction – for example, the roof of the Manx 2.0 EV is made of carbon fiber. As a new company making a bespoke beach buggy, with necessarily low production numbers, economies of scale will be working against it.
If you’re interested in the Manx 2.0 EV at $74k, Meyers is taking $500 deposits. It expects to ship the 2.0 EV in 2024, and is looking for 50 early-interest beta testers who will drive the car and provide feedback ahead of wide release.
Electrek’s Take
I’m no stranger to pricey early EV programs, having participated as a driver of the original Mini E, in 2009, which started off as a lease-only deal at $950/month. It was great fun being part of a group of 500 people, several of whom I still keep in touch with, and feeling like we had a part in shaping the future of BMW’s EV programs and even the EV industry as a whole. It’s why I’m even here to begin with, it’s what started my EV journey. So the idea of Manx’s beta program brought back fond memories of that time for me.
That said, we had hoped that a small, stripped-down EV for getting around town or using as a beach/desert toy would be more affordable than this. At this price, it’s positioned itself as a toy for some very-wealthy beach dwellers, who don’t mind spending almost double the price of the average new car in America for a car that will pretty much necessarily be a secondary or partial-use vehicle.
It’s not really fair to compare this car to higher-production vehicles from established companies, but given that the Leaf and Bolt exist in the sub-30k range and each have batteries of 40kWh or larger, are twice as big, and have a lot more “real car” things in the cockpit (touchscreen infotainment, doors, interior storage, and so on), we had hoped to see something a little closer to that.
Especially considering that the heritage of the Manx 2.0 was not expensive. As mentioned above (and in this Car & Driver article from 1967), when it first came out in the 60s, you could build one for as little as ~$800. That’s the equivalent of about ~$7k in 2023 dollars, after accounting for general inflation levels. Though you could spend up to around ~$4,000 if you really tricked it out, which is about ~$36k in 2023 dollars.
Heck, at this price, you could probably even buy an original one and convert it to electric, which for other vehicles is never really the economical choice – but here it might even be cheaper than going with a new base model Manx 2.0.
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Nexamp just pulled off something that could speed up clean energy deployment across the US – and potentially lower costs for everyone. The Boston-based solar developer just finished building three new solar farms in Maine and Massachusetts. But instead of waiting on the utility to handle all the grid hookup work, Nexamp did it themselves.
That might not sound groundbreaking at first, but in the world of renewable energy, it’s a pretty big deal. Normally, utilities are in charge of any grid upgrades and interconnection work needed before a new solar project can start sending power to homes and businesses. That process can be very slow and expensive.
Nexamp’s new approach, called “self-performance,” flips the script. It lets developers take on some of that work, like ordering and installing equipment, so they don’t have to sit around waiting for the utility to schedule it. That means solar farms can get online faster, which gets clean power to the grid sooner and keeps project costs in check.
The three projects that kicked off this self-performance effort are:
- Hartland Solar – 1.2 MW DC in Hartland, ME
- Barre Road Solar – 1.3 MW DC in New Braintree, MA
- Summit Farm Solar – 2.6 MW DC, also in New Braintree
Nexamp didn’t go rogue – they worked closely with Central Maine Power and National Grid on the interconnection designs, safety standards, and technical specs. But by handling the actual procurement and construction, Nexamp had way more control over cost, timing, and supply chain headaches.
“Self-performance lets us take much greater control over interconnection procurement and construction,” said Daniel Passarello, Nexamp’s lead consulting engineer for grid integration. “We can move much of the interconnection work forward at the same time as the solar farm build instead of treating them as separate. That helps us bring projects online faster and stay closer to budget.”
It also helps that Nexamp already has solid relationships with suppliers. Instead of going through multiple layers of utility procurement, they can go straight to the source, fast.
That kind of streamlining is exactly what the solar industry needs right now. Community solar is booming – as of the end of 2024, nearly 8 gigawatts of it have been installed across the US, according to the the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and that number is expected to almost double by 2030. But bottlenecks in the interconnection process slow things down.
Sara Birmingham, VP of state affairs at SEIA, called Nexamp’s move a step in the right direction. “We must modernize and streamline the interconnection process to keep pace with fast-growing demand,” she said. “Self-performance is one of several innovative approaches that can accelerate project timelines and lower costs, which benefits all ratepayers.”
Read more: Walmart and Nexamp are rolling out 31 solar farms in 5 states
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When Genesis first previewed its full-size electric SUV, the coach doors were one of the biggest highlights. It looks like it will actually make its way into the production vehicle. A Genesis GV90 model was spotted in the US for the first time with coach doors, offering a glimpse of the upcoming ultra-luxury SUV.
Genesis GV90 spotted with coach doors in California
We got our first look at the full-size luxury SUV after Genesis unveiled the Neolun concept at the NY Auto Show last March.
Genesis said the concept was its “ultra-luxe vision of luxury SUVs,” and it wasn’t kidding. When it arrives, it will be sold as the GV90 as the brand’s new flagship vehicle.
The GV90 is not just a pretty-looking luxury SUV. It’s also loaded with Hyundai’s most advanced software and tech. According to Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis’ head of creative design, “it’s the epitome of timeless design and sophisticated craftsmanship.
Last month, we got a sneak peek of the interior after a production-ready GV90 was caught in California. Although somewhat toned down from the original concept, the cabin still featured many of the same elements.
Another Genesis GV90 was recently spotted in California, with actual coach doors. The new images from KindelAuto (via TheKoreanCarBlog) show a camouflaged vehicle with a hinge at the rear, where the coach doors will open.
Genesis said that B-pillarless coach doors are now feasible in production vehicles, like the GV90. However, don’t expect it to come standard on all models.
The feature will likely be reserved for higher-priced trims. We’ve seen other variants, featuring traditional doors, that are being tested in the US and Korea.
Genesis is expected to launch the GV90 in mid-2026. We will learn prices and final specs closer to launch, but the flagship electric SUV is set to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform.
Hyundai said the platform is designed for EVs across all segments and will “provide a 50 percent improvement in driving range” compared to current EVs. It will also support Level 3 or higher autonomous driving capabilities and OTA software updates.
Source: KindelAuto, TheKoreanCarBlog
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Elon Musk has finally confirmed that Tesla’s new ‘affordable’ electric car is just going to be the Model Y in a cheaper format.
Musk has ended months of speculations and misinformation, which he partly created, about Tesla’s upcoming cheaper electric vehicle model.
Since last year, Tesla has guided “launching new affordable models” in the first half of 2025.
We are past the first half of 2025, but Tesla confirmed yesterday that the “first build” of the new model was produced in June, and it will launch later this year.
During the shareholders’ call following the earnings results yesterday, Tesla was asked about what the new affordable model would look like. Tesla’s CFO, Vaibhav Taneja, initially stated that they wouldn’t disclose details about the design, but then Musk interrupted him and said, “It’s a Model Y.”
It’s hard to hear exactly on the call because he talked over Taneja, but he said, “the cat is out of the bag” and confirmed that the new vehicle is simply a Model Y.
Electrek has been reporting on this fact all year. We have known for months that Tesla’s upcoming “new affordable models” are Model 3 and Model Y with a stripped-down interior with fewer features, like no rear screen, and cheaper materials:
However, this fact was not accepted in the Tesla community because CEO Elon Musk falsely denied a report last year about Tesla’s “$25,000” EV model being canceled.
The facts are that Musk canceled two cheaper vehicles that Tesla was working on, commonly referred as “the $25,000 Tesla” in early 2024. Those vehicles were codenamed NV91 and NV92, and they were based on the new vehicle platform that Tesla is now reserving for the Cybercab.
Instead, Musk noticed that Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y production lines were starting to be underutilized as the Company faced demand issues. Therefore, Tesla canceled the vehicle programs based on the new platform and decided to build new vehicles on Model 3/Y platform using the same production lines.
Now, only the new Cybercab is going to be based on the new unboxed platform.
During the conference call last night, Musk stated that the primary goal of the more affordable Model Y is to expand the market by making the vehicle more accessible to a broader audience. He suggested that it will go on sale in Q4.
Electrek’s Take
Finally, we can put this to rest. I think we can expect something similar to what Tesla did with the Model 3 in Mexico.
I think we can expect changes, such as using cloth materials instead of vegan leather, no rear display, no ambient lighting, and a lesser audio system.
In the case of the Model Y, Tesla may consider dropping some exterior lighting features, such as the light bars.
I wouldn’t be surprised also to see some powertrain changes. Maybe a less powerful RWD motor.
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