The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that it has selected electric vehicle manufacturing startup Canoo to provide a zero-emission electric car as part of NASA’s upcoming Artemis mission to the Moon.
Quoted from Electrek.co, (12/4/2022) Canoo will soon join Tesla and Rivian as an electric car manufacturer integrated into the realm of space exploration.
News shared by Bloomberg states that electric vehicle startup Canoo has been tapped by NASA for contracts from a pool of bidders.
See also: Mini offers electric conversion for classic models
The contract awarded to Canoo is worth $147,855, and competitors have until the end of this month to protest the decision.
If the award does hold up, Canoo will give NASA at least one of its electric cars to transport the Artemis astronauts.
The Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle has a range of 250 miles (400 km) from an 80 kWh battery pack, and a single electric motor at the rear with 250 kW (335 hp) of power.
In a statement to Bloomberg, NASA publicized its trust in Canoo, and expressed excitement for this partnership and looks forward to seeing the next generation of transportation vehicles.
According to the startup, commercial production of Canoo’s flagship electric car will begin in 2022.
The first manned mission in the Artemis Program, Artemis II is scheduled for launch in 2024 while SLS rockets supporting the unmanned Artemis I mission are currently on the launch pad.
