Electric vehicle manufacturer, Canoo, has selected Bentonville as its headquarters, company officials announced Monday. The company also plans to establish a Research & Development (R&D) center and an advanced industrialization/low-volume production facility for small package delivery vehicles in the state. These and other investments will bring at least 545 jobs to the Northwest Arkansas area.
“We are proud to partner with the State of Arkansas to develop American-made clean energy vehicles,” said Tony Aquila, investor, Chairman and CEO of Canoo, Inc. “Our investment in these new facilities will accelerate the development of high demand delivery vehicles for customers around the world. We thank Governor Hutchinson and his team for their leadership and vision for the state’s role in the mobility revolution.”
The R&D center will be located Fayetteville and will support advances in vehicle electronics and powertrain. The industrialization facility will be located in Bentonville.
“Canoo’s selection of Northwest Arkansas for its corporate headquarters, technology hub and development facilities is an excellent example of why our state has put so much effort and energy into computer science education and workforce training and development in recent years,” Governor Hutchinson said. “As a leader in technology with a talent pool that prioritizes innovation, hard work, and entrepreneurship, Arkansas shares many of the values that Canoo embodies, making this partnership a natural fit.”
Canoo says it is working with Arkansas and Oklahoma to advance America’s capacity to lead the EV revolution, enabling sustainable business and jobs. Recent developments are part of transforming the U.S. Route 412 corridor from Oklahoma through Arkansas into a center of electric vehicle research, development and manufacturing power. In June, 2021 Canoo selected Oklahoma as the site for its U.S. manufacturing facility.
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