The automotive industry’s shift to electric vehicles has governments worldwide interested in the technology. Governments need vehicles for a variety of purposes, and that includes the military. EVs present a radical change for warfare, and future battlefields might be filled with Canoo EVs if a new army contract ever bears fruit.
Canoo will supply the US Army with an electric vehicle for analysis and demonstration. The US Army is researching how it can incorporate the technology into military operations, troop transport, and more. The US Army is interested in the technology’s scalable and adaptable capabilities and how they would function for military use.
Gallery: Canoo NASA Transporter
“This is another opportunity to prove our proprietary technology – which is customizable and adaptable for multiple use cases and special environments,” said Tony Aquila, Investor, Chairman and CEO at Canoo.
This isn’t Canoo’s first tie-up with the US government. Last month, the company debuted its NASA transport vehicle, which doesn’t look all that different from the Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle. This new transporter is part of NASA’s Project Artemis endeavor to return astronauts to the moon. Canoo had to design a vehicle capable of hauling not only four astronauts, three additional crew, and a driver but also five equipment bags, four cooling units, and a pad transfer bag. Canoo has a June 2023 deadline to deliver all the vehicles.
Canoo isn’t the only automaker interested in military contracts. GM Defense, which oversees General Motors’ military products, announced it would build an electric light reconnaissance vehicle prototype. The vehicle will borrow components from the GMC Hummer EV, such as the frame, electric motors, and Ultium batteries, while meeting the military’s design specifications and needs.
The new contract with the US Army comes just months after a worrying Q1 2022 financial report. The company lost money in the first three months of the year, and there were concerns the company could go bankrupt. Canoo is also set to begin producing its Lifestyle Vehicle, which was in doubt earlier this year. It also inked a deal to supply Walmart with EVs.
