EV Maker Canoo Picks Arkansas For HQ, Continues Growth In Oklahoma

Canoo investments will bring nearly 550 new jobs to Bentonville and Fayetteville in Northwest Arkansas; more than 700 to Oklahoma.

In an effort to advance America’s capacity to lead the electric vehicle (EV) revolution, enabling sustainable business and jobs, Canoo is helping to transform the U.S. Route 412 corridor from Oklahoma through Arkansas into a center of electric vehicle research, development, and manufacturing power.

Canoo has selected Bentonville, AR as its headquarters and will establish an R&D center and an advanced industrialization and low-volume production facility for small package delivery vehicles in Arkansas. These and other investments will bring at least 545 high paying jobs to Benton and Washington counties in Northwest Arkansas.

Canoo
Tony Aquila, Investor, Chairman and CEO, Canoo, Inc.

“We are proud to partner with the State of Arkansas to develop American-made clean energy vehicles,” said Tony Aquila, Investor, Chairman and CEO of Canoo, Inc. “Our investment in these new facilities will accelerate the development of high demand delivery vehicles for customers around the world. We thank Governor Hutchinson and his team for their leadership and vision for the state’s role in the mobility revolution.”

The R&D center will be located Fayetteville, AR and will support advances in vehicle electronics and powertrain. The industrialization facility will be located in Bentonville.

“Canoo’s selection of Northwest Arkansas for its corporate headquarters, technology hub and development facilities is an excellent example of why our state has put so much effort and energy into computer science education and workforce training and development in recent years,” said Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. “As a leader in technology with a talent pool that prioritizes innovation, hard work, and entrepreneurship, Arkansas shares many of the values that Canoo embodies, making this partnership a natural fit.”

“Canoo is an American-made company with a vision for modernizing the future with its electric vehicle technology, and I am pleased that it will be making that vision come to life in Arkansas,” said Mike Preston, Arkansas’ Secretary of Commerce and Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “Northwest Arkansas is one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States and a hub for technology and business development. I am confident that Northwest Arkansas and Canoo are perfect matches for each other. We expect great things from this partnership in the coming years and are happy to welcome Canoo to the Natural State.”

In Oklahoma, the electric car maker will expand its partnership to include new R&D, software development and customer support and financing centers. These investments are expected to bring at least 700 additional high paying jobs to the state.

“Oklahoma is fast emerging as a premier location for global innovation, supported by a committed and inspiring group of businesses, family, educational and government leaders,” said Aquila. “These transformational partnerships have helped build a skilled workforce and excellent research universities, making Oklahoma the right place to develop cutting edge software for our total EV solutions.”

Canoo electric vehicles
Canoo’s Lifestyle Vehicle (left) will be the company’s first vehicle to market in 2022. Deliveries for the Pickup Truck (center) and scaled production for the Multi-Purpose Delivery Vehicle (MPDV) are scheduled to begin as early as 2023. (Source: Canoo, Inc.)

Located in Tulsa, the R&D and software centers will support technology advances and spearhead development of proprietary software that improves vehicle safety and efficiency for customers. The customer support and financing center also will be located in Oklahoma.

“I am pleased Canoo continues to recognize Oklahoma is the right location to expand its operations and create hundreds of additional high paying jobs for our citizens,” said Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. “Canoo Chairman and CEO Tony Aquila continues to be a great partner as we diversify Oklahoma’s economy and grow our footprint as a destination for global innovation.”

In June 2021, Canoo selected Tulsa, OK as the site for its U.S. manufacturing facility. That facility will create an estimated 2,000 high paying jobs.

“We have been working closely with Tony and the entire team at Canoo in the months since they made their announcement to locate their initial U.S. manufacturing facility at the Mid-America Industrial Park in Pryor, OK,” said Scott Mueller, Oklahoma’s Secretary of Commerce and Workforce Development. “This additional investment demonstrates their commitment to Oklahoma and the highly capable workforce we have to offer. Canoo has been instrumental in helping us work with their supplier network to continue the momentum Oklahoma has been demonstrating to beome a hub for America’s electric vehicle industry.”

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