The Rivian R1T, the Hummer EV, Tesla’s oddball Cybertruck: The electric pickup truck market has been getting more and more crowded lately, and now a new company has entered the fray: California-based EV startup Canoo just unveiled its take on the electric pickup. While not quite as bizarre as Tesla’s offering, Canoo’s truck, with its cab-forward design and emphasis on storage and customization, is definitely a unique vision of what the future of pickups could look like.

 

 

“Our pickup truck is as strong as the toughest trucks out there,” Tony Aquila, Canoo’s Executive Chairman, said in a statement. “We made accessories for people who use trucks—on the job, weekends, adventure. You name it, we did it because it’s your platform and she’s bad to the bone.”

At first glance, the truck’s biggest distinguishing feature is its shape: There’s no hood—the driver sits just behind the front wheels—and the windshield curves back in a long arch. The truck is based on an EV platform that stuffs the batteries and other powertrain components into a flat “skateboard” frame along the bottom of the vehicle, eliminating the need for an engine compartment. That architecture is shared with Canoo’s other models, which include a van-like EV the company refers to as a “lifestyle vehicle.” Essentially, the truck combines the front of the van with a six-foot pickup bed out back.

But there’s a lot more going on with this truck. It’s designed with work in mind, and it comes packed with cargo features for hauling tools and gear around. The space where you’d normally find an engine has been turned into a cargo area with electrical outlets and a fold-down table. Further back, there’s a pull-out storage drawer on the exterior of the bed that doubles as a step, and even a pair of flip-down tables on either side of the truck.

The bed is especially versatile: It features numerous tie-down points and electrical outlets, built-in lighting, and even wheel chocks for carrying motorcycles. Plus, there’s a hidden slide-out portion that can be extended to increase the bed length from six to eight feet—enough space to toss in a 4×8 sheet of plywood. With all that storage and table space, it’s easy to imagine the truck pulling work duty on a construction site and then transforming into the ultimate tailgating rig on the weekend.

Want to take it camping? Canoo has accessories for that, too: An optional roof rack and camper shell. Combined with all the built-in storage options and power outlets, the truck looks like it would be highly capable for backcountry exploring.

The cab is similarly customizable. In the video unveiling the truck, it’s shown with a pair of bucket seats, but Aquila points out that it can be configured with a bench seat or even three bucket seats, depending on the customer’s preferences. You can watch the full reveal in the video below:

Performance-wise, the truck posts some impressive numbers. It’ll be available in both single- and dual-motor versions, with the latter pumping out 600 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque. It’ll have a cargo capacity of 1,800 pounds and 200 miles of battery range, too. And at 187 inches of overall length, it’s relatively compact—for comparison, a regular cab Ford F-150 with a 6.5-foot bed measures just over 209 inches long.

According to Canoo, the preorders for the pickup will open in the next few months, and deliveries are slated to begin “as early as 2023.” You can browse the truck’s full specs on the Canoo website.

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