Canoo lands agreement to supply 3,000 electric vans to Zeeba

Californian EV start-up Canoo continues to edge away from the brink of bankruptcy, securing this week a supply agreement with US fleet leasing provider Zeeba for 5,450 electric vehicles (EVs).

Having suffered through a tumultuous first half of 2022, with the threat of bankruptcy looming over the company, Canoo announced on Tuesday that it had signed an agreement with Zeeba to purchase 5,450 EVs, with a firm commitment for 3,000.

Zeeba will begin adding the Canoo Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle (LDV) and Lifestyle Vehicle (LV) to its long-term fleet leasing portfolio, with deliveries expected to begin next year.

Canoo’s modular approach to vehicle design will allow the company to tailor each van to the needs of its customers, who will be able to use Canoo’s EVs for everything from last-mile logistics to ride-hailing and food delivery.

“We have a large committed, growing order book, are finalizing our multi-year allocations for 2023 customer deliveries and will share our manufacturing plan with the broader market shortly,” said Tony Aquila, Canoo chairman & CEO.

“This order is another milestone validating our product and strategy. Small & medium sized business (SMB) are the backbone of our communities, employing about half of all working Americans and they are Zeeba’s target customers.

“We put technology first and combined class leading ergonomics, a small vehicle footprint-to-cargo ratio and platform versatility while achieving a lower carbon footprint and higher return on investment for the operator, all of which will help SMBs compete.”

The agreement is also an important part of Zeeba’s plans to achieve a minimum of 50% electrification of its fleets by the first quarter of 2024.

“The LDV & LV are going to be a game changer for businesses we serve,” said Mike Paletz, Chief Strategy Officer at Zeeba.

“Canoo technology will allow our SMB customers to effectively and efficiently operate their businesses, while reducing their carbon footprint. Zeeba has very ambitious electrification goals and we want to achieve leadership in fleet technology.”