Canoo’s multipurpose electric van looks like it’s built out of Lego
Electric vehicle company Canoo caught our attention last year with its plan to offer a subscription-only EV. It’s back with its latest creation, a stylish multi-purpose delivery vehicle that’ll start at around $33,000. Pre-orders are open for the multipurpose delivery vehicle (MPDV), which will be available in two sizes at first. A limited number of the vans should be available in 2022 and production will scale up the following year.
The MPDV1 has 200 cubic feet of space behind the bulkhead and the MPDV2 has twice as much room. The two variants have Canoo’s skateboard base design and the same electric motor, which offers 200 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque.
The maximum payload depends on the battery size and there’ll be three options available at the outset. In the MPDV1, the 40 kWh pack should give you a range of 130 miles. The 60 kWh battery will provide a 190-mile range, Canoo estimates, and you should be able to drive for up to 230 miles on a single charge of the 80 kWh version. If you were to opt for the larger van, those ranges would be 30 to 40 miles lower. The van will also have level two autonomy as part of its driver assistance systems.
What makes the MPDV particularly interesting, though, is its design. Its Cybertruck-style flat panels make it look like Canoo snatched it from some point in the future (2077, perhaps). As Autoblog points out, the compact front end could help make parking a breeze.
A promo video shows off a number of neat interior design ideas that suggest the MPDV could be very useful as a work vehicle. The driver-side door, for instance, has power outlets and cup and phone holders as well as storage, while there should be plenty of space to walk around given the van’s interior height of just under 6.5 feet.
There are also ramp slide-outs, storage locker options, a 240-volt outlet for power tools and even a fold-up dolly. Owners could opt to have an opening on one side and fold-out tables on the other, so it could be a viable way to get a food truck business off the ground. You could even go with an adventure vehicle setup.
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