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Canoo defies the odds, receives another huge order for electric vans

Credit: Canoo

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Canoo has announced another massive order for their electric vans, with Kingbee ordering nearly 10,000 units.

Canoo has made a 180-degree turn compared to earlier this year when it announced they were nearing bankruptcy. Since then, the company has received thousands of orders, most notably from Walmart, for their Lifestyle Vehicle (LV) and Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle (LDV) vans. Now, the company has added another order for nearly 10,000 vehicles to their list, this time from Kingbee, a work-ready van rental company.

The binding order from Kingbee vans is for 9,300 Canoo vehicles, with the option to increase their order to 18,600 vehicles in the future. Kingbee will be retrofitting the completed vans for construction work and deploying them over the 27 states where they operate. No timeline for introducing these vehicles was included in the press release.

Despite other options, such as the Ford E-Transit, Kingbee CEO Scott Haslam still believes Canoo vans are their best option. “Canoo vehicles are designed specifically for fleets to be upfit and last multiple users. This is exactly what we need. Our assets are our business, and we need products that provide the best driver experience with durability.”

Tony Aquila, Chairman & CEO at Canoo, agreed with the sentiment regarding his product’s fleet design, further claiming that Canoo vans hold the title for “class-leading ROI.”

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Canoo commented to Teslarati that their product’s customization is also a feature that has attracted customers. “New and legacy innovators recognize a need for safety, efficiency, and productivity in their fleet portfolio. Our LDV has it all in a fully electric multi-generational platform, with market-pushing customization, that is made to last and outperform expectations.”

Along with this nearly 10,000 vehicle order, Canoo has pre-existing orders from Walmart and Zeeba totaling roughly 10,000 vehicles, leading to the question; where does the brand plan on manufacturing these 20,000 units? Currently, Canoo has two production facilities. One in Northwestern Arkansas and another in Northeastern Oklahoma; however, it is unclear if these facilities are now in production or how many vehicles they have produced.

In a comment to Teslarati, Canoo clarified their production schedule saying, “[we] are finalizing our multi-year allocations for 2023 customer deliveries and will share our manufacturing plan with the broader market shortly.” Also, noting that “we haven’t shared our customer fulfillment schedule yet, but our CEO has shared that we will deliver product for fleet order for Walmart first.”

Canoo has yet to post its Q3 results regarding financials or production numbers, but looking back to Q2 of this year, the company was still struggling with profitability. More worryingly for investors, despite Walmart’s already completed order for vehicles, they had not (at the time) announced that any units had been produced for delivery.

These more recent deals that Canoo has established may be the turnaround that the company desperately needed, but they aren’t out of the woods yet. Investors and consumers alike are looking for the ordered models to be produced. Without further evidence that they are moving towards that objective, they may find themselves in the same situation as earlier this year.

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What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!

Will is an auto enthusiast, a gear head, and an EV enthusiast above all. From racing, to industry data, to the most advanced EV tech on earth, he now covers it at Teslarati.

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Tesla might be doing away with a long-included feature with its vehicles

It appears Tesla is mulling the possibility of not including key cards with its vehicles any longer.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla might be doing away with a long-included feature with its vehicles, as it could be looking to phase out something that very few owners utilize.

Tesla Key Cards are included when you purchase your vehicle, and they assist in the initial setup process. However, after that, they are not super useful or relevant to the owner, as many rely on their Phone Key through the Tesla App to access their cars.

As such, it appears Tesla is mulling the possibility of not including key cards with its vehicles any longer. According to some language that has been removed from vehicle Owner’s Manuals that talks about the inclusion of key cards with the car upon delivery:

“Tesla provides you with two Model 3/Y key cards, designed to fit in your wallet.”

That sentence was removed from Owner’s Manuals, according to Not a Tesla App, which first spotted the change.

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Interestingly, the timing of the phrase being removed from Owner’s Manuals comes just after Tesla launched its “affordable” Standard Models, and could be a small money-saving measure for the company.

Key Cards have been utilized by Tesla for its cars since 2017, as they became an included accessory with the vehicle. They still have their place and are useful for other applications, such as Valet service and even to be used by car owners if their phone is dead or if someone else needs to get into the car.

They can also be purchased in the Tesla Shop for $40.

It seems as if Tesla is planning to have owners be completely reliant on the Phone Key, which is more useful and convenient than carrying around the Key Cards.

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Although it is minor, it is yet another strategy Tesla is using to trim any sort of costs that can be eliminated and could save money in the long run.

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Elon Musk confirms Tesla FSD V14.2 will see widespread rollout

Musk shared the news in a post on social media platform X.

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Credit: Whole Mars Catalog/X

Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla will be implementing a wide rollout of Full Self-Driving (FSD) V14 with the system’s V14.2 update. Musk shared the news in a post on social media platform X. 

FSD V14.1.2 earns strong praise from testers

Musk’s comment came as a response to Tesla owner and longtime FSD tester AI DRIVR, who noted that it might be time to release Full Self-Driving to the fleet because V14.1.2 has already become very refined.

“95% of the indecisive lane changes and braking have been fixed in FSD 14.1.2. I haven’t touched my steering wheel in two days. I think it’s time, Tesla AI,” the longtime FSD tester wrote

AI DRIVR’s comment received quite a bit of support from fellow Tesla drivers, some of whom noted that the improvements that were implemented in V14.1.2 are substantial. Others also agreed that it’s time for FSD to see a wide release.

In his reply to the FSD tester, CEO Elon Musk noted that FSD V14’s wide release would happen with V14.2. “14.2 for widespread use,” Musk wrote in his reply

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Mad Max mode makes headlines

One of the key features that was introduced with FSD’s current iteration is Mad Max mode, which allows for higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the previous “Hurry” mode. Videos and social media posts from FSD testers have shown the system deftly handling complex traffic, merging seamlessly, and maintaining an assertive but safe driving behavior with Mad Max mode engaged.

Tesla AI head Ashok Elluswamy recently noted in a post on X that Mad Max mode was built to handle congested daytime traffic, making it extremely useful for drivers who tend to find themselves in heavy roads during their daily commutes. With Musk now hinting that FSD V14.2 will go on wide release, it might only be a matter of time before the larger Tesla fleet gets to experience the notable improvements of FSD’s V14 update.

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Multiple Tesla Cybercab units spotted at Giga Texas crash test facility

The vehicles were covered, but one could easily recognize the Cybercab’s sleek lines and compact size.

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Credit: @JoeTegtmeyer/X

It appears that Tesla is ramping up its activities surrounding the development and likely initial production of the Cybercab at Giga Texas. This was, at least, hinted at in a recent drone flyover of the massive electric vehicle production facility in Austin. 

Cybercab sightings fuel speculations

As observed by longtime Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer, Tesla had several covered Cybercab units outside the facility’s crash testing facility at the time of his recent flyover. The vehicles were covered, but one could easily recognize the Cybercab’s sleek lines and compact size. Tegtmeyer also observed during his flyover that production of the Model Y Standard seems to be hitting its pace.

The drone operator noted that the seven covered Cybercabs might be older prototypes being decommissioned or new units awaiting crash tests. Either scenario points to a ramp-up in Cybercab activity at Giga Texas, however. “In either case, this is another datapoint indicating production is getting closer to happening,” Tegtmeyer wrote on X, highlighting that the autonomous two-seaters were quite exciting to see.

Cybercab production targets

This latest sighting follows reports of renewed Cybercab appearances at both the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas. A test unit was recently spotted driving on Giga Texas’ South River Road. Another Cybercab, seen at Tesla’s Fremont Factory, appeared to be manually driven, suggesting that the vehicle’s current prototypes may still be produced with temporary steering controls.

The Tesla Cybercab is designed to be the company’s highest-volume vehicle, with CEO Elon Musk estimating that the autonomous two-seater should see an annual production rate of about 2 million units per year. To accomplish this, Tesla will be building the Cybercab using its “Unboxed” process, which should help the vehicle’s production line achieve outputs that are more akin to consumer electronics production lines.

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