Next day deliveries have a big problem. They’re terrible for the planet. But Canoo, an EV manufacturer based in LA, is looking to solve those problems with a pair of electric vans that can travel up to 230 miles per charge. The catchily named Multi-Purpose Delivery Vehicle 1 and Multi-Purpose Delivery Vehicle 2 (MPDV1 and 2) are designed to be as good at delivering items locally as possible. And that means a proprietary electric architecture.
According to Canoo’s math, delivery
companies could save up to US$ 80,000 over seven years, thanks to lower operating
costs and the lack of a big, thirsty internal combustion engine. Starting at
around US$ 33,000, the smaller MPDV1 starts at a few thousand dollars less than a
Chevrolet Express Cargo van (US$ 39,698), despite its fancy electric drivetrain.
That same drivetrain allows operators to plug in their tools if they’re working
at, say, a construction yard.
And Canoo estimates that the MPDVs have
around 30% more cargo volume than comparable vehicles thanks to a flat battery
and no engine. Steering and brake-by-wire controls are also being offered to
make autonomous functionality possible once the software arrives.
The MPDV2 has 450 cubic feet of cargo
volume, giving it similar capacity to a Ford Transit Van. The MPDV1, meanwhile,
has 230 cubic feet of cargo volume, giving it roughly the same cargo capacity
as a Chevy Express or a Nissan NV. Its payload, meanwhile, tops out at 1,980
pounds, That’s less than the Express, whose payload tops out at 4,250 lbs, but
whose fuel economy is 13 mpg in V8 trim.
And that fuel economy is one of the
reasons that next-day delivery and similar programs are so hard on the
environment. The faster parcels have to be delivered, the fewer can be sent out
per trip, the bigger the carbon footprint of each individual parcel. And while
the Canoo would still use electricity, which isn’t free, there are certainly
efficiencies to be gained.
The MPDVs makes 200 hp and 236 lb-ft of
torque and comes with a variety of battery packs, ranging from 80/60/40 kWh in
size. These, says Canoo, can be recharged from 20% to 80% in just 28 minutes.
Best of all, though, they just kind of look rad. Like something out of
Cyberpunk 2077 but, you know, less dystopian.
