Canoo's 2023 Electric Pickup Truck Will Bring Innovative Features

When we told our readers that Canoo wanted to apply circular economy principles to its electric pickup truck, we thought the rendering presented a name for such a vehicle: Techno Truck. Canoo was fast to deny that was the real name, and now simply refer to it as the Canoo Pickup Truck. The rendering also proved to be relatively far from what people will be able to buy in 2023: an extended cab electric pickup truck with innovative features.

Before we tell you about them, you should know Canoo’s contender in that market is an extended cab for two passengers. We asked the company about other cabin options, but it said it would focus on this one. Not by chance: the customizable rear space can accommodate two more seats or work for anything else the owner may have in mind.

The Canoo electric pickup truck will be 184 inches (4,67 meters) long, 78 in (1.98 m) wide, 76 in (1.92 m) tall, and will have a 112.2 in (2.85 m) wheelbase. That means it is much, much smaller than most pickup trucks sold in the U.S. The Honda Ridgeline, for example, is 210 in (5.33 m) long.

The company did not mention its ground clearance, but the pickup truck will use 260/60 R18 tires. We also missed its battery pack size but said it would offer more than 200 miles of range. Considering Canoo already said its vehicles would have 40 kWh, 60 kWh, and 80 kWh, respectively with 130, 190, and 230 miles of range, it is obvious which battery pack the pickup truck should receive – unless Canoo plans to offer a bigger one.

The EV startup did not mention the pricing or the name of its electric pickup truck. However, it said we would know about that close to the production vehicle's presentation in Q2, 2022. That will be when pre-orders will open. Deliveries will only begin in 2023.

Prospective buyers will be able to choose RWD or AWD configurations, with up to 600 hp (447 kW) and 550 pound-feet (746 Nm) with the dual-motor option. Payload capacity will be 1,800 lb, and the truck bed is 64 in (1.63 m) wide, 72 in (1.82 m) long, and 21 in (0.52 m) deep. That gives it a volume of 54.5 cubic feet (1,543 liters). It is here that the innovative features of the Canoo truck start to shine.

The extendable bed can offer two more feet to the six feet it normally offers. If you do not think that is innovative, bear in mind that it does not consist only of the tailgate: the Canoo truck gets a fully enclosed 8-foot bed.

With the extension in place, the truck bed reaches 102 in (2.60 m) in length, preserving its width. Carrying 4x8 plywood sheets will be easy with this electric pickup truck, and you will have no concerns with where the license plate should be nor with the taillights. Canoo took care of all these details, including a tow hitch receiver. The pickup truck will be able to tow 3,500 lb.

The bed will also offer dividers, modular wheel chocks to hold bikes in place, and configurable tie-downs for equipment. The third brake light can illuminate the interior of the bed, which also presents perimeter lighting.

Another cool feature relates to the side panels of the truck bed. They turn into workbenches that have power outlets. According to the company, you can use tools for a whole day, affecting the range only by 10 percent. Just flip the side panels down and start working.

That also applies to Canoo’s frunk, if you can call that compartment this way. Its lid flips down just like the side panels. The difference is basically that it gives access to a storage space at the front of the vehicle for tools or gear – if you use your Canoo truck for camping.

This is a public in which Canoo is betting a lot. Owners of the pickup truck will be able to choose from a variety of camper shells. Buyers can also choose roof racks in multiple sizes. Access to it is granted either through the bed or with the help of retractable side steps on both sides of the pickup truck.

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These side steps also work as storage compartments where you can place a cooler for snacks and beverages, for example. It can also work as a space to store your laptop or other valuable goods because you can lock it.

If Canoo gives it a cool name, an affordable price, and can keep the idea of offering its vehicles as a service rather than simply as products you can purchase, customers will thank for all that as much as the planet. It would be nice to see a truck be successful in saving natural resources. The current model is right the opposite of that.