#Canoo’s Bubbly Electric Pickup Is a Workbench-Toting Subscription Vehicle – Review Geek

Tesla already announced the Cybertruck, but though it fits all the criteria of an electric pickup, it’s large and divisive. Now Canoo, a startup working on subscription-based vehicles, is showing off its take on an electric pickup. And while it’s bound to be divisive due to its bubbly book, it’s hard not to appreciate how functional it is.

And yes, the front bubble looks very odd. But hear us out; it’s actually useful. Inside the cab, the driver sits further back away from the front of the truck. In theory, that leaves you more protected if you’re in a crash. But it also adds extra storage room. You can stick a chest full of tools where the “dash” usually would be.

Step outside the truck, and the front bubble becomes just as functional. The “grill” area opens up to reveal a “frunk” storage spot. But even better, it folds out into a workbench, complete with outlets for all your tools. It’s truly a work bubble.

That’s not the only area where Canoo innovated. The bed extends so you can haul more stuff. The doors fold out, and the floor slides out to give change from a six foot bed to eight feet. Canoo designed the system to keep the taillights and the lice cense plate visible even with the bed extended. The sides of the bed open to flaps, too, giving you easy access and that much more space to stack things. The rim of the bed houses LEDs for extra lighting as well.

Underneath the side flaps, you’ll find a slide-out step that doubles as yet another storage spot. Seriously, despite its small size (at just 184 inches long), it stows and stores a ton of cargo. Canoo says you’ll get 200 miles on a single charge, and you can get 80% back in just 28 minutes. 

The pickup has quite a few modular options as well. You can go with a sparse system that relies on your phone for all the infotainment duties or opt for a complete infotainment system. You can add or roof rack or a full camper enclosure to the bed. And other options will be available, too.

What we don’t know yet, is exact pricing and release date. The company plans to deliver sometime in 2023, with pre-orders opening in Q1 2021. Canoo doesn’t plan to sell its vehicles traditionally. Instead, it’s touting a subscription service. If that sounds like a lease to you, it’s not quite the same. For one, Canoo’s subscription comes with maintenance and charging. And for another, you can stop the subscription and pick it back up later, though you’ll presumably return the truck while you’re paused. Leases are all or nothing, without maintenance, until the very end.

Until we know pricing, though, and the terms of the subscription, it’s hard to say if the Canoo Pickup will pan out as a good deal. But we can dream about a pickup with a built-in workbench. We can dream.

Source: Canoo