While Tesla is preparing to get its Cybertruck into production, other manufacturers are pushing ahead with their own electric pickup truck plans. We know Rivian and Ford are in the mix, along with Bollinger and General Motors. Now comes word there is a new player on the horizon.
Canoo Electric Pickup Truck Introduced
Image courtesy Canoo.
Most pickup trucks on the market today look pretty much the same, with the emphasis on having the biggest, meanest, most intimidating grille that company stylists can imagine. The Tesla Cybertruck breaks with conventional styling with its angular, trapezoidal shape. Somewhere in the middle is the new electric pickup truck from Canoo, with styling that harks back to the 1933 Dymaxion penned by Buckminster Fuller. Or you can view it as an evolution of the original Volkswagen Microbus. No matter how you look at it, it is unique and in a world where everyone else’s trucks have a boring sameness, that can be a plus.
In an email to CleanTechnica, Canoo executive chairman Tony Aquila says, “We are so passionate about building vehicles that can change people’s lives. Our pickup truck is as strong as the toughest trucks out there and is designed to be exponentially more productive. This truck works for you. We made accessories for people who use trucks — on the job, weekends, adventure.”
The company proudly proclaims its pickup packs more cargo carrying capacity in a smaller footprint than any other truck available now or coming to market in the near future. The trimmer Canoo is more maneuverable yet can carry a full 4×8 sheet of drywall or plywood within the extendable load bed.
Image courtesy Canoo.
Image courtesy Canoo.
Image courtesy Canoo.
The Canoo pickup features lots of cool features. The lockable compartment in the front holds tools or camping equipment and folds out to form a work table. There are fold-down work surfaces on both sides and electrical outlets everywhere. The high mounted brake light doubles as work light. Load bed dividers can be configured to keep items from sliding around while driving. A roof rack and camper tent are available with steps built in to the side of the truck to help reach them. A slide-out storage area on the sides can hold a cooler or tools and there is a lockable laptop compartment as well.
Customers will be able to pre-order the Canoo electric pickup in the second quarter of this year, with deliveries beginning in 2023. It will have a range of about 200 miles and a payload of 1,800 pounds. Both single- and dual-motor versions are planned, with the dual motor configuration having a maximum of 600 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque. It is built on a 112″ wheelbase and is 184″ long (213″ with the bed extended).
Image courtesy Canoo.
Image courtesy Canoo.
“Canoo designed its pickup truck to be the most cab-forward and space efficient on the market, with massive cargo capacity on the smallest footprint possible,” the company says. “Thanks to the flexible platform and steer-by-wire, the passenger compartment was able to be shifted forward to maximize driver visibility. (Our) designers gave the pickup added stance and durability with increased wheel spats to support larger wheels, which provides improved stability and gives it a rugged profile.”
There is no word yet on pricing for the Canoo electric pickup truck, but we know the starting price of the similar Canoo delivery van is $33,000. Deduct the federal tax credit and whatever state and local incentives may be available and the pickup could represent a solid value compared to conventional pickup trucks that sell for $40,000 to $50,000 today.
Image courtesy Canoo.
Hummer SUV Reveal
General Motors is busy testing its Hummer electric pickup truck under extreme conditions as it gears up for production. Right now it is doing winter testing in sub-freezing temperatures as it fine tunes the electronic controls that will manage the truck’s all-wheel drive capability on snow and ice. But the big news of the day is that GM will begin taking orders for an SUV version of the Hummer on April 3 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time. The official reveal can be viewed live on the GM website. The reveal date is no accident. 4.3.21. Get it? There won’t be another opportunity for such a clever marketing strategy for another thousand years.
The market for electric pickup trucks is a bit murky at the moment as it is filled with companies with good intentions but no actual products that people can go out and buy today. It will be interesting to see how the market develops over the next few years. What does seem apparent is that Canoo will offer a highly competent electric truck for tradespeople and adventurers. The one thing we can say for sure is that people like choices and in the electric pickup truck segment, soon they will have plenty of those.
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Source: https://cleantechnica.com/2021/03/10/electric-pickup-truck-suv-news-from-canoo-general-motors/
