EV startup Canoo has announced plans for an electric pickup truck. Executive Chairman Tony Aquila said the Los Angeles-based company will begin taking pre-orders in the second quarter of 2021, and aims to launch the truck in the first quarter of 2023.

“This is like no truck you’ve ever seen,” Aquila said at a recent press event. “It’s the size of a Ford Ranger, can take the payload of a full-sized pickup and [has] the turning radius of a Prius.”

Canoo has said its pickup is expected to have up to 600 horsepower and a range of more than 200 miles (320 km). Aquila now says he expects the range to be 300 miles or higher by the delivery date.

The pickup, which will be aimed at both consumers and commercial customers, features Canoo’s unique looks—in contrast to Tesla’s angular Cybertruck, it has a rounded shape that some have described as pod-like. It includes a six-foot truck bed that can extend to a fully enclosed eight feet, a front cargo storage area and a fold-down worktable with electrical outlets, flip-down side tables and a hidden step.

Canoo plans to build the pickup in a US “microfactory.” The company says it is negotiating with states about a potential site.

Canoo has developed a skateboard platform, incorporating batteries, electric motors and chassis components such as steering, brakes and wheels, on which a variety of vehicle body types can be built.

Other upcoming Canoo models include a seven-seat “lifestyle vehicle” and a delivery vehicle, both expected in the second quarter of 2022, and a sport sedan slated for 2025.

Source: Reuters