NASA and USPS Abandon Vans from Bankrupt Startup Canoo
NASA and the United States Postal Service (USPS) have ceased using electric vans produced by the bankrupt startup Canoo.
What is known
In 2023, the United States Space Agency acquired three electric vehicles to use as shuttles for astronauts participating in the lunar Artemis mission. However, the space agency now states that Canoo no longer meets the mission requirements, and instead it will lease an Airstream Astrovan. This minibus is based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with an internal combustion engine for Boeing's space missions.
Meanwhile, the United States Postal Service (USPS) told TechCrunch that six vehicles, purchased "for evaluation purposes" in 2024, are no longer in use. "The evaluation is complete," wrote the postal service, "no further investment is planned." USPS declined to disclose any details or final results of the evaluation.
It is known that another demonstration vehicle was provided to the United States Department of Defense, but it did not respond to requests about the vehicle's fate. The British postal service Royal Mail also began testing two Canoo electric vehicles and planned to purchase 2,000 units in the future, but what happened to these test vehicles is unknown.
Canoo vehicles for NASA. Photo: Canoo
Canoo was founded in 2017. It developed a universal chassis on which vehicles could be produced with various body types: from minivans to double-cab pickups. At its peak, the company employed 800 people, and even Hyundai wanted to partner with the startup for joint platform development for electric vehicles.
But everything went downhill after the loans ran out. Last year, there were massive staff reductions, and in January 2025, the startup declared bankruptcy. It is still unclear what will happen to the remaining Canoo electric vehicles. Perhaps someday they will be available for sale at auction, or they may disappear forever, going to recycling.
Source: TechCrunch
