American upstart Canoo unveils electric pick-up truck

American EV upstart Canoo has displayed a pick-up truck utility that uses a modern-day forward control vehicle design with the cab sitting over the front axle for maximum cargo capacity.

The design and a suite of information was revealed at the US-based Motor Press Guild’s Virtual Media Day, but the styling closely resembles the Canoo van.

It looks set to take on electric rivals such as the Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck and GMC Hummer EV.

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Simply referred to as the Canoo pick-up for now, the design features a gigantic glasshouse, a beefy front fascia with skid plates underneath for protection and flared plastic guards to hide all-terrain tyres.

In addition to the unconventional design, Canoo has also fitted a number of thoughtful unique features such as an extendable tray bed that folds out to carry long items, a fold-down front bonnet that forms an on-the-go work bench, the sides of the tray flip down to create an expandable table and a modular tray with space dividers.

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It's even been designed with campers in mind, with the ability to fit a ‘camper shell’ on top of the tray for weekends away.

The Canoo pick-up is the third vehicle to use the brand’s proprietary multi-purpose platform architecture, allowing various body styles to be created in quick succession.

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As a point of difference, the Canoo pick-up uses various electric control systems in place of mechanical parts, such as its steer-by-wire system that does away with physical componentry.

It’s all done with the goal of having the most spacious layout inside the smallest possible footprint. Canoo says its pick-up offers a similar flat-bed size to the Ford F-150, though in a smaller footprint.

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Specifications quoted mention the availability of both dual- or rear-motor configurations, up to 447kW/745Nm outputs, a 320km range and a payload capacity of 816kg. No tow rating has been mentioned.

No interior photos were supplied, though Canoo did say that its pick-up contains two front seats and a “customisable rear compartment that can accommodate two additional seats or support additional purpose-built use-case configurability.”

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Pre-orders open for American customers open from second-quarter 2021, though Canoo doesn’t expect to begin deliveries to begin before 2023.