- Canoo's done with California and will now be based out of Texas
- Two of the three founders have left Canoo
- Canoo changed its business model to focus on commercial applications
Canoo is planning to leave its original headquarters location in California and is replacing one of its founding executives, according to two separate reports from TechCrunch.
The website reported Thursday that Canoo told staff in an all-hands meeting that it would close its Los Angeles office, which served as Canoo's original headquarters when the EV startup launched in 2017. Canoo plans to relocate its headquarters to Justin, Texas, where it has maintained a corporate office since CEO Tony Aquila took over a few years ago.
Canoo Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle with Walmart logo
As TechCrunch notes, Canoo previously tried to move its headquarters to Bentonville, Arkansas, as it was courting Walmart, which announced an order for 4,500 electric vans from the startup in 2022. Canoo has also tried to set up a small-scale manufacturing facility in Arkansas, with larger-scale production to take place in Oklahoma.
Canoo isn't any closer to ramping up production than when it announced those manufacturing plans in 2021, but it is offering the option for 137 of 194 employees at its Los Angeles office to relocate to either Oklahoma or Texas, TechCrunch reports, with the remaining staff being laid off.
USPS Canoo LDV 190 van
Employees had "long expected" the L.A. office to shut down, according to the report, especially after Canoo co-founder and chief design officer Richard Kim left the startup in 2023. Kim is now being joined by CTO Sohel Merchant, TechCrunch reported Friday, citing two anonymous sources familiar with the matter. That leaves just one of the original executives who founded Canoo still at the company—chief engineer Christoph Kuttner.
Canoo initially had eyes on selling a stylish EV on a subscription basis, but has pivoted to commercial vehicles under current CEO Aquila. It's since provided vehicles to NASA, the U.S. Postal Service, and the U.S. Army for testing, but has failed to produce EVs in meaningful numbers. Earlier this year it announced the acquisition of the remains of EV startup Arrival, including manufacturing equipment that could help it finally ramp up production.
