Canoo to build EV manufacturing facility in Oklahoma

US-based electric vehicle (EV) start-up Canoo has announced plans to build a manufacturing facility in Pryor Creek, Oklahoma.

The factory will be located on a campus covering almost 400 acres at the MidAmerica Industrial Park.

It will include a full commercialisation unit with a paint, body shop and general assembly plant, as well as a low-volume industrialisation facility.

The so-called ‘mega microfactory’ is expected to open in 2023 and will employ around 2,000 people.

Canoo chairman and CEO Tony Aquila said: “We are proud to be American-made and to bring more than 2,000 jobs to Oklahoma.

“We ran a multi-state competition [for the facility’s location] and Oklahoma was head and shoulders above the other contenders because of its leadership, energy-forward initiatives, strategic location and the hardworking ethic of its people.”

In an interview with Reuters, Mr Aquila said that the Oklahoma facility will have the capacity to manufacture more than 150,000 vehicles a year. The total investment in the facility is expected to be between $500m and $1bn depending on demand.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said: “This partnership with Canoo shows that our state is an innovation leader in EV technology.

“We are thrilled to partner with Canoo and [Mr Aquila] to provide high-paying jobs for Oklahomans and position America as the global leader for vehicle manufacturing for decades to come.”

Canoo was founded in 2017 and unveiled its first vehicle prototype in 2019. The company aims to deliver its first vehicle to market in the fourth quarter of next year.

It has also partnered with Dutch automaker VDL Nedcar to support the initial production of its vehicles until the Oklahoma campus is ready.

Earlier this week, General Motors (GM) announced plans to increase its investments in electric and autonomous vehicles to $35bn until 2025.

GM expects that this will create greater competitive advantages as it seeks to become the market leader in EVs in North America.