Electric vehicle startup Canoo is relocating its headquarters to Texas, while shifting much of its engineering workforce to Oklahoma. The move is aimed at enhancing collaboration and efficiency as the company prepares to ramp up production of its electric cargo vehicles.
The decision to relocate key engineering operations to Oklahoma is tied to the company’s nearly 500,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Oklahoma City. According to Canoo, co-locating engineering and manufacturing in the state will “foster greater collaboration” and streamline production efforts. Most of the 137 positions affected by the relocation will move to Oklahoma, while Canoo plans to hire an additional 150 employees in the near future.
Canoo has also been expanding its production capabilities in Oklahoma, where it builds its Lifestyle Vehicle (LV) and Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle (LDV). Earlier this year, the company secured a contract with the U.S. Postal Service for six units of its LDV 190 and acquired production equipment from British electric vehicle developer Arrival.
The company aims to scale production further following conditional funding of up to $113 million in subsidies from the state of Oklahoma and the Cherokee Nation, contingent on Canoo’s $320 million investment in its Pryor battery and vehicle assembly plant, which is expected to create more than 1,360 jobs.
“The move to Texas was an easy decision,” Canoo stated, noting that its executive leadership has been based in Justin, Texas, since 2021.
