{"id":139920,"date":"2019-09-25T18:03:12","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T22:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=139920"},"modified":"2019-09-27T10:31:02","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T14:31:02","slug":"canoo-debuts-1st-production-ev-but-only-plans-to-offer-it-by-subscription","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2019\/09\/canoo-debuts-1st-production-ev-but-only-plans-to-offer-it-by-subscription\/","title":{"rendered":"Canoo Debuts 1st Production EV \u2013 But Only Plans to Offer It By Subscription"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Canoo’s new vehicle, the Canoo \u2013 yes, the Canoo Canoo \u2013 is the latest EV entry in the U.S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bollinger, Rivian, Faraday Future and, of course, Tesla, the long stagnant automotive industry is facing a flood of new entrants that hope to crack open the long-closed door by targeting the emerging electric vehicle market. Add to the list Canoo, a start-up that not only wants a piece of that electrified pie but is hoping to grab its share with an approach that challenges much of the industry\u2019s traditional business model.<\/p>\n

Originally launched under the name Evelozcity, the renamed company has officially pulled the wraps off its first model while also outlining a business model that foregoes traditional retail sales. Instead, Canoo will jump whole hog into the subscription market. Details are still being worked out, but that\u2019s likely to mean a flat fee that would include everything down to taxes and registration fees, as well as maintenance, insurance and, of course, the vehicle itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cCanoo believes that there is a better solution traditional car ownership,\u201d the start-up said, while promising \u201ca hassle- and commitment-free EV subscription for one monthly, affordable price and with no set end date.\u201d<\/p>\n

(“Boutique” EV Company, Now Named Canoo, Plans to Market by Subscription Only)<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Significantly, the company also said that everything will be handled \u201cfrom a single app.\u201d It\u2019s not saying whether that means it will try to move away entirely from having dealers or simply will allow a customer to handle as much of the process as possible via that app, even if they prefer to do some things at a showroom. Moving away from the conventional dealer franchise system will create challenges, as Tesla has learned, with some states likely to refuse to license Canoo.<\/p>\n

As for the vehicle itself, a quick glance will likely bring to mind the classic Volkswagen Microbus or, if you prefer, the German marque\u2019s planned revival, the all-electric ID Buzz. Like the latter, the Canoo \u2013 and yes, the first model will be the Canoo Canoo \u2013 is fully electric, in this case relying on an 80 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t expect this to be the longest-range EV out there, with an estimated 250 miles per charge, nor the fastest, its single motor pushing 300 horsepower through the rear axle. But Canoo promises it will be reasonably quick and, considering the instant torque that electric motors deliver, that would be far from surprising.<\/p>\n

Looking forward, Canoo hints there will be more variants, which raises the prospect of an all-wheel-drive package at some point. Meanwhile, the skateboard-like platform \u2013 now the norm for battery-electric vehicles \u2013 was designed to serve future product lines as well as the original microvan.<\/p>\n

From nose-to-tail, the Canoo measures just 173 inches in length, not much different from a VW Golf. It\u2019s 75 inches wide and 73 inches tall and weighs in at around 4,500 pounds.<\/p>\n

One of the advantages of the skateboard architecture is that it moves virtually all key powertrain components under the load floor. Jaguar was one of the first to take advantage of that approach, shortening the nose of its I-Pace to provide a larger interior than an outside walkaround might have suggested. The Canoo pushes things even further, with little more ahead of the two front-seat occupants than was the case with the old Microbus \u2013 but for the now-requisite crash structure.<\/p>\n

One of the first things you\u2019d likely notice climbing behind the steering wheel is that the dashboard is minimalist, with gauges and other technology essentially bolted to a single crossbeam. Then, you might look down and find that there\u2019s also a glass panel behind the pedals, offering a unique view of the road.<\/p>\n

(Ford Motor Credit Sells Subcription Service Canvas to Fair)<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that the potential of EV architecture can enable a post-SUV era that addresses the ever-growing desire for space and value,\u201d said Ulrich Kranz, one of Canoo\u2019s founders. \u201cWe promised a truly different approach for EVs, and our Canoo proves that we can deliver on that vision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like the old Microbus, there are windows everywhere, creating a bright, living room-like feel that\u2019s enhanced by the fact that, other than the front buckets, the other five passengers sit in a U-shaped bench that wraps around the back half of the cabin.<\/p>\n

The unusual approach was pulled together by a design team led by Richard Kim, who was a lead on both the BMW i3 and i8 projects, subsequently moving over the Faraday Future and its FF91 program.<\/p>\n

In fact, Kim was one of an assortment of former BMW and Faraday executives, a group that initially included Stefan Krause, who helped found Canoo but has since left the company.<\/p>\n

Where the start-up goes from here was outlined by Kranz, another former BMW and Faraday alumnus.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe unveiling,\u201d he explained, \u201ckicks off the period of beta testing, meaning we are on track for our launch date for 2021.\u201d<\/p>\n

As with plenty of other EV start-ups, Canoo\u2019s plans have generated plenty of skeptics. The company claims to have raised $1 billion but, even if that proves accurate, the travails of Faraday, which has struggled for several years to avoid collapse, shows how quickly a 10-figure bankroll can run out.<\/p>\n

(Care by Volvo Subscription Program Faces Probe)<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The company plans to give the Canoo Canoo its first public showing on Sept. 29, at the Abbott Kinney Festival in the Los Angeles suburb of Venice. Perhaps, by then, it will have more information on its marketing plans, though, in typical automotive fashion, pricing likely won\u2019t be revealed until closer to the Canoo\u2019s on-sale \u2013 er, in-subscription \u2013 date.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Want a car? How about a Canoo? Not canoe, but Canoo, a start-up that not only wants a piece of that electrified pie but is hoping to grab its share with an approach that challenges much of the industry\u2019s traditional business model. Get more details on the release of its new product, the Canoo Canoo. Yes. That’s right. Get details at TheDetroitBureau.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":139931,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8,5,12,9],"tags":[],"make":[],"post-state":[],"category_old":[118,150,151,123,319,155,132,129,291,288],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139920"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139920"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139920\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139920"},{"taxonomy":"make","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/make?post=139920"},{"taxonomy":"post-state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-state?post=139920"},{"taxonomy":"category_old","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_old?post=139920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}