We’ve seen a number of EV startups that delivered a lot of hype, but few if any vehicles. For a while, we were tempted to place Canoo in that category, but now the company has begun deliveries of its electric LDV130 commercial van, as part of a large order from Kingbee, a national provider of work-ready rental vans (which is already offering Ford E-Transits).

Kingbee placed a binding order for 9,300 Canoo electric vans last November, with an option to buy 9,300 more at the same price. The first batch are reportedly already in service, and additional deliveries are to continue throughout 2024. Kingbee will upfit, custom-wrap, and deliver its Canoo LDV130s as work-ready fleet solutions across the US.

Canoo had previously delivered vehicles to NASA, the US military and the State of Oklahoma for testing. The company has several other major orders on its books, including an order for 4,500 vehicles from Walmart (one of Canoo’s major investors), one for 3,000 units from fleet management firm Zeeba, and one for 1,000 units from the State of Oklahoma.

“We are excited for the opportunity to help fleets transition to electric vehicles,” says Scott Haslam, CEO of Kingbee Vans. “Fleets of all sizes use Kingbee as a flexible option for vehicle acquisition, and we’re honored to be among the first to add Canoo to our EV portfolio.”

“Our vehicles are engineered for service workers, and optimized for safety, reliability and comfort,” said Canoo CEO Tony Aquila. “This is what distinguishes our vehicles and provides a competitive edge for commercial fleet companies.”

Source: Canoo