The last few months have been pretty rough for electric startup Canoo. From executives leaving, to a partnership with Hyundai falling through, to an SEC investigation announced just hours after pricing was released for its minibus lifestyle vehicle, Canoo’s chances of actually getting a vehicle to production are starting to look slim. It’s pressing ahead, though, as Reuters reports that Canoo has announced it’ll build its manufacturing facility in Oklahoma.
So where in Oaklahoma did Canoo choose for its plant site? A small suburb of Tulsa called Pryor Creek. Canoo is calling it a “mega microfactory.” It’ll be located in an industrial park called MidAmerica (not the VW and Corvettes part distributor), which sits on 9,000 acres. Of course, there have been the typical “it’ll bring jobs to the area” posturing by the company and its CEO Tony Aquila, claiming that it will bring 2,000 high paying jobs to the area:
“We invested millions of dollars to find the right location for our manufacturing facility. We’re proud to be American made and to bring more than 2,000 jobs to Oklahoma.”
Of course, the company wouldn’t say exactly how much that investment is. Is the company still on track to deliver vehicles in the fourth quarter of next year? Canoo says it is. The key to this will be the manufacturing partner with which Canoo has contracted. While Canoo’s campus in Pryor Creek is under construction, Netherlands-based manufacturer VDL Nedcar will build Canoo’s vehicles. Founded in 1967, VDL has partnered with other major manufacturers building other (forgettable) models like the first-gen Volvo S40, Smart Fourfour, and Mitsubishi Colt and Outlander. VDL Nedcar plans to build 1,000 Canoos for the U.S. and European markets next year with a 15,000 unit target by 2023. There was no word on whether or not the partnership would continue after Canoo’s Oaklahoma factory opens.