Canoo unveils game changing subscription-based steel-intensive electric vehicle

Los Angeles / Chicago, November 12, 2019  -  Images courtesy of Canoo 

Canoo, the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) startup based in Los Angeles unveiled the prototype of its first all-electric urban vehicle in September 2019. In just 19 months, the Canoo team brought their vehicle from concept to a fully designed beta phase, which is currently undergoing testing. The design of the canoo BEV challenges traditional automotive shapes and functionality. Canoo created their spacious vehicle, also called canoo, for a world in which transportation is becoming increasingly electric, shared and autonomous. It capitalizes on the flatter chassis structure possible in an EV architecture to provide significantly more interior space within the cabin. Meanwhile, instead of purchasing and owning the vehicles, Canoo’s subscribers will be offered a commitment-free, month-to-month subscription with a full suite of vehicle-related services bundled in.

In constructing its vehicles, Canoo decided to use the latest generation of steel allowing the vehicle to achieve ambitious weight and safety targets. In total, combining the skateboard chassis structure and the cabin structure, around 90 percent of the vehicle is made from steel. More than 70 percent of the steel used is AHSS/UHSS with a tensile strength of above 500 MPa. With these steel grades, Canoo is creating a BEV with the highest content of steel ever used.

“We promised a truly different approach for EVs, and our canoo design proves that we can deliver on that vision. Using a significant amount of Advanced and Ultra High Strength Steels (AHSS/UHSS) allowed us to meet stringent strength, safety, cost, and overall performance requirements,” says Alexi Charbonneau, In Charge of Skateboard and Cabin for Canoo.

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The high level of advanced steels in this vehicle demonstrates steel’s many advantages, which also relate to its versatility, recyclability and its contribution to global green-house gas reduction. In these areas, steel outperforms other materials used in the automotive marketplace. ArcelorMittal is best positioned to serve customers such as Canoo given its vast expertise in steel research and steel solutions, wide variety of grades for a range of applications and established track record of serving the global automotive industry.

“At ArcelorMittal, our mission is to support the automotive industry to build a better world with smarter steels: steels that are cleaner and stronger, and steel solutions that can help shape the future of mobility,” says Peter LeBlanc, chief marketing officer of automotive for ArcelorMittal North America. “We are proud to partner with a bold company like Canoo to help them meet their ambitious targets. Steel is, and will be, the preferred material for mobility as it is designed to maximize cost efficiency, sustainability, and safety.”

The North America based ArcelorMittal Automotive Product Applications team, a division of ArcelorMittal’s Global R&D organization, has fully collaborated with the engineering teams at Canoo since the company’s inception. The ArcelorMittal team has provided co-engineering and steel solutions related technical support.

Canoo’s design is unconventional compared to other electric vehicles (EV) making their way to market while taking full advantage of the EV architecture. The skateboard-like chassis is a low-profile suspension system that provides significantly more interior space for the occupants while reducing the overall footprint. The recently revealed canoo continues the existing trend in EV designs with a focus on reduced greenhouse gas emissions and urban congestion, improved user connectivity, and the adopt of automated, connected, electrified, shared (ACES) technologies. It is widely believed among industry analysts that this is a disruptive trend which will continue to evolve.

The cabin serves as a safety cage for occupants utilizing high amounts of advanced steel products dominated by roll-formed martensitic, cold-formed Dual Phase and hot-stamped boron Press Hardenable steels (PHS).

The propriety skateboard platform houses the battery and electrical management systems, HVAC systems, drive machines, crash support, and suspension components. Like the cabin, the skateboard structure utilizes significant amounts of AHSS/UHSS products including Dual Phase, martensitic and PHS grades.

The canoo battery modules are fastened directly to the skateboard structure, avoiding the redundant structure and space for a separate battery enclosure. The battery modules provide torsional rigidity to the skateboard and to the overall vehicle. Since battery modules are directly mounted in the skateboard, the skateboard also serves as the battery box. This architecture also allows for future models to leverage the same skateboard structure.

Canoo’s first vehicle has an estimated range of 250 miles (EPA rating) and can reach an 80 percent charge in less than 30 minutes. Production and sale of the vehicle are expected to begin in 2021. As the launch date for this flagship vehicle approaches, ArcelorMittal remains committed to continuing its support through early manufacturing with Canoo’s various production partners.

Over the entire life cycle, steel is already the most sustainable material to make efficient and affordable vehicles, partly attributed to steel already having much lower CO2 emissions in primary production and ease of recycling compared to competing materials.

In the circular economy of tomorrow, ArcelorMittal’s smarter steels will use less resources, energy and carbon, making them greener and more sustainable. ArcelorMittal is committed to manufacturing innovative steels that advance sustainable lifestyles, showcasing the integral role steel plays in the sustainability strategies of our customers.

With the involvement of our time-tested support infrastructure including early vendor involvement, metallurgy, prototype support, and commercial and supply chain management, ArcelorMittal remains uniquely positioned to assist customers, like Canoo. ArcelorMittal can help our customers succeed in developing the vehicles and smart mobility solutions of tomorrow at an affordable cost compared to competing materials and within the accelerated timeframe demanded by our customers.

About ArcelorMittal

ArcelorMittal is the world's leading steel and mining company, with a presence in 60 countries and an industrial footprint in 19 countries. Guided by a philosophy to produce safe, sustainable steel, we are the leading supplier of quality steel in the major global steel markets including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with world-class research and development and outstanding distribution networks.

For more info, please contact ArcelorMittal Communications: Bill Steers +1 312 899 3817 - William.Steers@arcelormittal.com

About Canoo

Canoo is a Los Angeles based company creating and offering unique electric vehicles (EV) for subscription only. Canoo’s first vehicle will launch in 2021 and was designed for a world in which transportation is becoming increasingly electric, shared and autonomous. Canoo is challenging the traditional way of building, offering and using vehicles.

For more information, please visit their website and follow them at @canoo on Instagram & Twitter.
For press inquiries, please get in touch with Canoo's press contact: Stacy Morris: +1 310 415 9188 or press@canoo.com