EV manufacturer Canoo announced Wednesday that NASA has selected the high-tech mobility company to provide crew transportation vehicles for upcoming crewed Artemis lunar exploration launches. Canoo will deliver multiple customized, all-electric LV models to NASA by June 2023.
The seminal mission will establish the first long-term human and robotic presence on and around the lunar surface and lay the groundwork for future crewed visits to Mars. NASA selected Canoo’s zero-emission LVs as the crew transport vehicles for the Artemis Program through a competitive process.
“We are honored to transport the Artemis crew to the launch site for the first human lunar landing in more than 50 years. The selection of our innovative technologies by NASA to take a diverse team of American astronauts to the moon showcases a great commitment to sustainable transportation,” said Canoo Chairman and CEO Tony Aquila. “As a high-tech mobility company, we are inspired by NASA’s pioneering and trailblazing spirit. Our customized vehicles are modular and upgradable throughout their lifecycle with a high level of recyclability at end of life. Canoo’s Made in America electric vehicles embody our nation’s ingenuity and bold determination to reclaim global technology leadership for America and its allied nations. We are proud to be a partner to NASA in one of the world’s greatest endeavors.”
The crew transportation vehicle, or CTV, must carry fully suited astronauts, flight-support staff and equipment to the launch site. Canoo says the new CTVs will be based on Canoo’s LV model – a future-forward all-electric vehicle, designed from a clean sheet and based on Canoo’s proprietary multi-purpose platform to maximize cabin space, utility and productivity on a compact footprint.
Canoo says it will manufacture vehicles for the Artemis mission “in the heartland.” The company recently moved its headquarters to Bentonville and announced an advanced manufacturing site planned for the city. It also will construct a “mega micro factory:” in nearby Pryor, Okla.
Canoo will bring more than 2,700 high-tech, advanced mobility jobs to the region, with many more expected to be attracted indirectly to the region.
Canoo plans to launch commercial production from its Bentonville facility in late 2022.
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