Exactly one year ago, we met Canoo, an American startup that developed an absolutely inviting-looking van-like electric vehicle mounted on a modular platform of its own development. But in an unexpected twist, they removed any traces of a body and transformed its skateboard into a cabin-less “skatekart.”
The startup released a very interesting video, which shows the strength and the performance of the platform, which will serve as the backbone of all Canoo vehicles.
The main purpose of the SkateKart is to demonstrate the modularity of this skateboard-type platform, with a totally flat floor in the middle and the motors located on each axis. The company developed a complete set of proprietary high-performance powertrain systems ideally suited for its modular skateboard platform.
The skateboard supports dual, front, or rear motor configurations and is capable of achieving up to 500 hp and over 300 miles (483 km) of range with dual motors. The rear primary unit is designed to deliver a maximum of 300 hp and 450 Nm of torque, and the front unit is designed to deliver a maximum of 200 hp and 320 Nm of torque – motors peak at 97% efficiency, which is optimized for urban driving environments.
The integrated steer-by-wire system eliminates the mechanical steering connections between the cabin and skateboard, which allows for greater flexibility in cabin design and driver positioning. The skateboard architecture directly houses all of the most critical components of an electric vehicle, including its industry-leading steer-by-wire platform, an advanced fully electric drivetrain, a battery compartment, and battery thermal management systems, power electronics, vehicle controls, crash absorption structures, and autonomous driving components, among others.
Canoo’s skateboard is uniquely modular, offering a truly self-contained, fully functional rolling chassis, so much so that it can be driven entirely independently. In any case, looking at the platform, the first thing that comes to mind is the possibility of customization it offers, and we hope that in the future, the best coachbuilders around the world will want to indulge in it.
Canoo claims that they have achieved the “flattest” skateboard architecture in the world, which will maximize the interior volume. Thanks to this, the manufacturer must be able to embroider the model program quickly and without major costs.
The company won’t sell vehicles to customers. Instead, it will offer them on a subscription basis, beginning in Los Angeles in 2021.
