For the second time this month, EV startup Canoo has announced a major fleet order for its electric vans—the biggest one to date, actually.
After Zeeba ordered 3,000 Canoo Lifestyle Vehicles and Lifestyle Delivery Vehicles, Kingbee, the work-ready van rental provider, has placed a binding order for 9,300 Canoo EVs, with an option to increase to 18,600 vehicles. Kingbee will upfit, wrap and deliver Canoo vehicles as work-ready fleets solutions for enterprise and small and medium sized business (SMB) customers across the United States.
Canoo's commercial electric vehicles built on the company's proprietary multi-purpose platform (MPP) architecture with modular configurations for a wide range of use cases are described as a perfect complement to Kingbee's focus on customized fleets for small business owners.
"This order is yet another key milestone as we allocate production capacity for the coming years. New and legacy innovators recognize a need for safety, efficiency and productivity in their fleet portfolio. Our LDV has it all in a fully electric multi-generational platform with market pushing customization, that is made to last and outperform expectations."
Tony Aquila, Chairman & CEO at Canoo
Kingbee provides a turn-key solution for fleet rental, delivering fully upfitted commercial solutions with optional signage to operators with flexible leasing terms. With customers in 27 states and growing, the company offers flexible solutions for small and medium businesses. Kingbee clients are enterprise level and regional businesses that include Sunrun, Nivo Solar, Blue Raven, Utah Dept. of Health, from industries including energy, plumbing, mobile health, electrical, construction and delivery.
"Canoo vehicles are designed specifically for fleets to be upfit and last multiple users. This is exactly what we need. Our assets are our business and we need products that provide the best driver experience with durability."
Scott Haslam, CEO of Kingbee Rentals
Kingbee says that small and medium businesses are looking for sustainable, affordable and flexible solutions, which is something the Canoo LDV offers. Kingbee's flexible fleet leasing model is expected to significantly reduce the barriers to entry for many fleets owners.
The Canoo LDV features an 80-kWh battery pack providing an estimated range of 250 miles (402 kilometers). The LDV offers 120 cubic feet (3.4 cubic meters) of cargo volume and one or two seats in the front. The targeted starting price is $34,750 for the LDV, before destination charge and incentives.
