Canoo MPDV explained

Canoo Multi-Purpose Delivery Vehicle
Manufacturer:Canoo
Aka:MPDV
Production:2024 (planned)
Class:Light duty truck
Designer:Richard Kim
Body Style:Panel van
Layout:FF
Platform:Canoo Multi-Purpose
Motor:permanent-magnet synchronous,
Transmission:single-speed reduction gear
Battery:40 / 60 / 80 kW-hr
Electric Range:130– (EPA)
Wheelbase:112.80NaN0
Related:Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle

The Canoo Multi-Purpose Delivery Vehicle (MPDV for short) is a line of battery electric delivery vans produced by Canoo, the first of which was unveiled in December 2020. There are three planned models, the MPDV1 and the taller MPDV2, both sharing the same wheelbase and platform as the earlier Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle, and the MPDV3, which will use an enlarged version of the same platform.

History

Canoo announced it had developed the Multi-Purpose Delivery Vehicle in December 2020; although ostensibly designed as a work van to haul cargo, Canoo also touted the potential customization possibilities of the slab-sided vehicle.[1] The price is expected to be comparable with conventional work vans powered by internal combustion engines.[1]

Preorders opened in January 2021.[2] Prior to the MPDV, Canoo first had announced the similarly-sized Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle for passengers in 2019, using the same Canoo Multi-Purpose Platform. The Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle (LDV) is a cargo-specific variant of the Lifestyle Vehicle intended for fleet operation, and the LDV received several notable orders in 2022, including 4,500 for retailer Walmart[3] and 3,000 for fleet management company Zeeba.[4] Walmart began testing LDV prototypes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area starting in summer 2022.[5]

Limited quantities of the MPDV were scheduled to start becoming available in 2022; an initial production target of 1,000 Canoo vehicles was to be filled by contract manufacturer VDL Nedcar while Canoo was completing its "Mega Micro" factory in Pryor, Oklahoma,[6] but Canoo later announced that early low-volume production will occur at its Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters / research & development facility instead.[7]

Design

Compared to the rounded Lifestyle Vehicle (LV) which was the first vehicle announced by Canoo, the MPDV has an angular, faceted style that Dwell has likened to the Tesla Cybertruck.[8] It was designed by Richard Kim, who previously had designed the LV.[9]

Platform

The Canoo Multi-Purpose Platform that underpins all its vehicles is a skateboard chassis that carries battery modules within the perimeter frame, protected on bottom and top by a belly panel and the vehicle cabin floor; the modules form part of the frame's structure, helping to stiffen it and lowering overall weight by approximately 15% compared to peer designs.[10]

Powertrain

As initially unveiled, the MPDV1 and MPDV2 shared a single-motor, front-wheel drive arrangement, with the permanent-magnet traction motor providing and of torque.[11]

Three high-voltage traction battery capacities are planned: 40, 60, or 80 kW-hr, with corresponding estimated ranges of, respectively, for the MPDV1 on the EPA driving cycle; each range decreases by approximately with the bulkier MPDV2 body.[12] The battery modules are composed of cylindrical 2170 battery cells and have the potential to use 4680 battery or pouch cells. With 2170 cells, the energy density is 195 W-hr/kg. The traction battery operates at a nominal 400 V.[10]

Spec !! MPDV1 !! MPDV2
Cargo volume
Curb weight / payload(40 kW-hr)
(60 kW-hr)
(80 kW-hr)
Est. Range(40 kW-hr)
(60 kW-hr)
(80 kW-hr)
Notes

Cargo

Cargo volume aft of the front bulkhead is estimated to be for the MPDV1[13] and for the MPDV2;[14] maximum payload varies with model and battery capacity, ranging from for the MPDV1/40 kW-hr to for the MPDV2/80 kW-hr.[12] The MPDV2 will have an interior ceiling that is tall, while the ceiling of the MPDV1 will be instead.[11]

Notes and References

  1. News: Canoo aims to reinvent the work van with the Multi-Purpose Delivery Vehicle . Hyatt, Kyle . December 17, 2020 . Road/Show . CNet . 4 November 2022.
  2. News: Canoo opens preorders for its funky electric delivery van . Szymkowski, Sean . January 21, 2021 . Road/Show . CNet . 4 November 2022.
  3. News: Walmart gives new life to struggling Canoo with order for 4,500 electric vans . Halvorson, Bengt . July 12, 2022 . Green Car Reports . 4 November 2022.
  4. News: Canoo gets orders for at least 3,000 more electric vans . Edelstein, Stephen . October 14, 2022 . Green Car Reports . 4 November 2022.
  5. News: Canoo Is Already Testing Its EV Vans with Walmart . Ramey, Jay . August 25, 2022 . Autoweek . 4 November 2022.
  6. News: Quirky Canoo EVs set for Oklahoma production, subscription model played down . Halvorson, Bengt . June 17, 2021 . Green Car Reports . 4 November 2022.
  7. News: Canoo aims for EV production in 2022 in Arkansas, shifts away from Netherlands plan . Edelstein, Stephen . December 22, 2021 . Green Car Reports . 4 November 2022.
  8. Web site: Is This Sleek New Electric Vehicle the Future of #Vanlife? . Hermanson, Melissa . December 2020 . dwell . 4 November 2022.
  9. News: Richard Kim's Rectilinear Design for the Canoo Multi-Purpose Delivery Vehicle . Noe, Rain . December 17, 2020 . Core77 . 4 November 2022.
  10. News: EV startup Canoo has a structural battery—but it's not Tesla's approach . Halvorson, Bengt . June 24, 2021 . Green Car Reports . 4 November 2022.
  11. News: 2024 Canoo MPDV First Look: Square-Deal EV Delivery . Markus, Frank . December 17, 2020 . Motor Trend . 4 November 2022.
  12. News: Canoo MPDV revealed as a futuristic electric work van coming in 2022 . Palmer, Zac . December 18, 2020 . Autoblog . 4 November 2022.
  13. Canoo Prospectus, Registration No. 333-252082 . April 6, 2021 . Securities and Exchange Commission . 4 November 2022.
  14. Form S-1: Registration Statement . Canoo Inc. . January 13, 2021 . Securities and Exchange Commission . 4 November 2022.