Canoo Startup Debuts Subscription Electric Van

Los Angeles-based electric car startup Canoo Inc. hopes to begin selling electric cars in California by subscription in 2021.

The company’s first model, also called Canoo, is a seven-passenger “lifestyle” minivan (pictured). The company kicked off a four-week reveal tour of the car in California last night.

The Canoo is 14.5 feet long, 6 feet tall and 6.2 feet wide and weighs about 4,500 lbs. Company co-founder Ulrich Kranz describes the vehicle as a “loft on wheels,” pointing to a U-shaped seating area in the rear that replaces the usual forward-facing rows of seats.

The rear-drive van will be powered by a 300-hp electric motor and 80-kWh battery that can travel 250 miles per charge, according to the company. A high-power DC charger can replenish 80% of the battery’s capacity in 28 minutes.

Canoo, originally named Evelozity Inc., hopes to launch the minivan in Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2021, then expand availability to the East Coast. The company says its “skateboard” chassis will be able to carry a variety of models ranging from a small commuter car to a “last-mile” delivery van, all offered on a subscription-only basis.

Customers will pay a one-time membership fee, plus a fixed monthly payment that covers vehicle registration and taxes, insurance, maintenance and unlimited mileage. Kranz says subscribers would be able to opt out of the plan at any time.