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Electric car startup Canoo caused a sensation with its bubbly minivan late last year. The company even attracted Hyundai’s attention and investment. But the van part of the car is not necessarily the most important thing Canoo has developed. Instead, the skateboard deck is Canoo’s key, and to illustrate that, Canoo turned it into a kart.
There is no body on the Canoo platform, it is only the powertrain platform that supports the body of the minivan that the company developed. It contains all the batteries, motors, brakes, and suspension needed for a car, making it completely drivable. It has two engines, a large rear one that generates 300 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, and a small front one that generates 200 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. To get the suspension tuned, Canoo uses transverse composite leaf springs, just like the Corvette has used for its rear suspension for decades. The range is approximately 250 miles. It looks like it’s probably a lot of fun to drive.
The point of this low, flat platform is that you can put almost any body on top of it. Canoo says its goal is to be able to develop new car models in 18 to 24 months, as all of its cars will use the same basic foundation. In addition to the flexibility, there are the wired controls for steering, throttle and brakes. Allows you to place the driver’s seat anywhere in the car, or in this case, in the kart. Canoo also notes that the wired controls can also be adjusted for every variety of feel and responsiveness.
While this design should have many benefits for Canoo itself, we also see huge potential for car kit companies and coach manufacturers. It’s like a modern-day VW Beetle floor pan. You have the powertrain and suspension bolted to some kind of flat “frame,” and it simply drops onto whatever body you want. Do you want a sports car? Move the conductor close to the middle and cover it with a low, slippery shell. Do you need a really practical pickup truck? Move the driver all the way to the front and roll the rest into an open cargo space like a VW Bus-style pickup. The possibilities are quite interesting.
Of course, those possibilities depend on whether the platform is available to private owners. Canoo is starting out by offering its truck by subscription, not permanent ownership. The first are slated to be available in 2021 in Los Angeles and eight other major cities on each coast.
