Canoo Starts Making LDV Electric Vans In Oklahoma, Delivers First Batch

Canoo has started deliveries of Lifestyle Delivery Vehicles (LDV) produced at its new facility in Oklahoma City.

The startup’s first Oklahoma-made electric vehicles were delivered to the state of Oklahoma, more specifically to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES).

As Canoo points out in a press release, the milestone marks the start of the company’s phased-ramp manufacturing in Oklahoma and of LDV deliveries to key customers and partners in 2023.

Canoo did not say how many LDV vans it delivered to Oklahoma’s OMES or how many it plans to deliver this year, but it said “increasing units” will be coming next year. We asked the company for details on delivery numbers and production capacity of the Oklahoma City site and we’ll update the story when we hear back.

Canoo is currently hiring for its Oklahoma City (vehicle assembly) and Pryor (battery module assembly) facilities in the state, where it expects to create more than 1,300 jobs following an investment of $320 million. The Canoo LDV is the first commercial motor vehicle built in Oklahoma since 2006.

Canoo LDV 130

“We are proud to be part of this historic moment as Canoo builds momentum on its road to full-scale production,” said Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. “This marks Oklahoma’s return to vehicle manufacturing and proves ‘The Sooner State’ is the right place to grow cutting-edge businesses and create new jobs.”

Built on Canoo’s Multi-Purpose Platform (MPP), the Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle can be had either as a passenger or cargo van. In August, Canoo announced a longer variant of the latter, the LDV 190, which offers a larger cargo area of 172 cubic feet thanks to the longer body. It’s not clear if production of the LDV 190 has started, though.

Last week, Canoo unveiled the American Bulldog, a rugged electric pickup derived from the Screaming Eagle that was delivered to the U.S. Army for testing in 2022. The company did not reveal specifications or production and delivery estimates.

Earlier this year, Canoo finalized incentive agreements with the state of Oklahoma and the Cherokee Nation worth up to $113 million over 10 years. The incentives for the Oklahoma City and Pryor sites require the company to meet job creation and investment targets.

Last month, Canoo entered into a stock purchase agreement with “a foreign strategic institutional investor,” for an investment of $45 million. The two parties also agreed to negotiate one or more additional investments for up to $150 million.

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