Canoo Inc., a company developing purpose-built electric vehicles (EVs), on March 11 debuted its fully-electric pickup truck during the Motor Press Guild's Virtual Media Day (VMD) in partnership with Automobility LA.

The production version of the pickup truck will open for preorders in the second quarter, with deliveries beginning as early as 2023.

“Our pickup truck is as strong as the toughest trucks out there and is designed to be exponentially more productive,” said Tony Aquila, executive chairman of Canoo. “This truck works for you. 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."

Canoo's pickup truck was built with several unique features to help customers do more with their vehicles:

Pull-out Bed Extension

The pickup truck bed is six feet long and can extend to a fully enclosed eight feet, allowing big items such as a 4 by 8 ft sheet of plywood to easily fit inside. The pull-handle bed extension also helps with loading and unloading the truck. The extension also serves as a license plate holder. When the bed is extended, a second layer of tailgate doors can be swiveled out. The bed-extension also houses a secondary lamp, containing all tail lamp functions, so the truck can be driven while the bed space is maximized.

Fold Down Worktable + Cargo Storage

To offer the greatest customer utility, the pickup features a front cargo storage area that can hold tools or gear, also includes a fold down worktable with electrical outlets. The workstation table is extendable to allow customers to have maximized work surface on the go, in addition to providing an area to put on gear before heading out exploring.

Flip-Down Side Tables

Both sides of the vehicle house a flip down table in two expandable depths. Built into the side panel of the truck bed, the flip-down side table becomes a workbench with multi-functional power sources in close proximity.

Side Step + Storage

On the side of the vehicle there is a hidden step to allow quick and easy access to the truck bed. Underneath the step is a flexible storage area for items including: a first-aid kit, cooler for snacks and drinks, lockable laptop storage and more. This space efficient feature is only possible due to Canoo's ultra-flat platform.

Modular Bed with Space Dividers

The truck bed is modular with the use of Canoo's space divider system designed to keep items separate and secure. The bed wall also incorporates modular wheel chocks to secure bikes and configurable tie downs for ladders, large equipment and other materials.

Multi-Accessory Charge Port

The pickup truck can double as a powerplant with exportable power accessible on all sides of the vehicle. Power can last all day for tools and devices, with as little as 10% impact on vehicle range.|

Integrated Overhead + Bed Perimeter Lighting

The third break light doubles as an overhead light to see inside the cargo bed at night. The vehicle is also equipped with perimeter lighting on all sides of the bed wall for added visibility.

Roof Rack

The pickup truck has optional roof racks in variable sizes for added cargo storage. The roof rack is easily accessible from the flatbed or via the sidestep.

Camper Shell

The pickup truck has been designed to accommodate a variety of camper shells to fit as many use cases as possible. The pickup truck is the third vehicle that will be based on the company's proprietary multi-purpose platform architecture, enabling the accelerated development timeline. Canoo's EV platform functionally integrates all the critical components of an electric powertrain to be as flat and efficient as possible. Traditional EV platforms have power units, shock towers and mechanical steering columns that protrude into the vehicle and take up space. By incorporating steer-by-wire and other space-saving technologies, Canoo's thin platform, with no need for an engine compartment, allows the company to offer a flatbed size comparable to America's best-selling pickup truck on a smaller footprint. This makes the vehicle easier to maneuver and more convenient to drive and park in any terrain.

Vehicle specifications for the Canoo pickup truck include^:

• Dual or rear motor configurations

• Up to 600 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque with dual motors

• Vehicle payload capacity of 1800lbs

• 200+ miles of battery range

• Steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire technology

• Tow hitch receiver

• Wheelbase: 112.2 inches/ 2850 mm

• Overall length: 184 inches/ 4677 mm (with bed extension: 213 inches/ 5400 mm)

• Width: 78 inches/ 1980 mm (with mirrors: 87 inches/ 2209 mm)

• Height: 76 inches/ 1920 mm (with roof rack: 82 inches/ 2085 mm)

• Bed W,L: 64 inches/ 1627 mm x 72 inches/ 1817 mm (with extension: 64 inches/ 1627 mm x 102 inches/ 2600 mm)

• Bed depth: 21 inches/ 522 mm

• Roof rack W,L: 48 inches/ 1230 mm x 54 inches/ 1360 mm (as shown)

• Tires: 265 60r18 (as shown)

Canoo designed its pickup truck to be the most cab-forward and space efficient on the market, with massive cargo capacity on the smallest footprint possible. Thanks to the flexible platform and steer-by-wire, the passenger compartment was able to be shifted forward to maximize driver visibility.

Canoo's designers gave the pickup added stance and durability with increased wheel spats to support larger wheels, which provides improved stability and gives it a rugged profile. Advanced lighting technology provides adaptive safety, and the company's iconic signature headlights and taillights serve as core brand identifiers without the need for a logo. Beyond just storage, the front surface of the vehicle has been extended to better protect the headlights and windscreen.

The bumpers are designed for maximum functionality and durability with integrated tow hooks and metal skid plates on both the front and rear. The vehicle's fog lamps are also integrated seamlessly into the bumper design to offer the driver additional visibility and safety. Lined with trim and materials selected for durability, the extended cab vehicle has two seats in the front with a customizable rear compartment that can accommodate two additional seats or support additional purpose-built use-case configurability.

Full specifications will be revealed closer to production. With its thoughtful added features, utilitarian design, and compact maneuverability, this vehicle reinforces Canoo's mission of creating electric vehicles for everyone on the road or dirt road. Canoo's line of battery electric vehicles is purposefully designed to help everyday people be more productive and enjoy a return on capital from their vehicle, putting money back into the pockets of its consumers.