The U.S. Department of Defense recently doubled down on Canoo Technologies with a significant expansion of its previously announced high-power battery pack partnership and delivery of three crew transportation vehicles to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for the Artemis lunar landing missions.
In a recent press release, Canoo says it has leveraged its advanced commercial battery and integration expertise to deliver a technologically advanced battery pack to its DOD partners that can be scaled for use on operational military platforms and will set the stage for standardization of energy dense lithium batteries for the U.S. Navy. This follows the Defense Innovation Unit’s testing and analysis of the company’s proprietary technology since February 2023.
This announcement accelerates the DIU’s Jumpstart for Advanced Battery Standardization (JABS) program’s “form-fit-function battery standards for defense” by using proven and protected commercial EV battery technologies for military use.
“We are honored to deepen our collaboration with the Department of Defense,” said Tony Aquila, Chairman and CEO of Canoo. “We are inspired by their leadership and focus on encouraging American innovation. A core value to our re-founding is to invent and leverage our technology to contribute to our nation’s leadership in defense technology. We are guided by our commitment to continuously innovating our patented technologies to better equip our partners to win whether it be in commercial or consumer markets, or in aiding our nation’s defense.”
Canoo’s proprietary battery system is modular and offers industry-leading performance features, supporting various military applications and configurations, according to the company’s press release. Canoo says its agreement with DIU will be instrumental in achieving strategic energy resilience.
Canoo has a battery module manufacturing facility at MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor, Oklahoma, within the Cherokee Nation. In phase one, the new facility will create over 200 advanced manufacturing jobs. In addition, Canoo will be the first technology company to produce battery modules and packs primarily using hydro and wind power sources from the Grand River Dam Authority.
The company also announced the delivery of three crew transportation vehicles to transport the astronauts to the launch pad for the Artemis missions.
“We are thrilled to be a part of the Artemis missions and to deliver NASA’s first zero-emission built for mission crew transportation vehicles,” said Tony Aquila, Chairman and CEO of Canoo. “It’s a very proud day for Canoo and all of our partners who worked so hard to ensure we perform our part to transport the astronauts for the first nine miles of every launch.”
The CTVs are engineered to carry fully suited astronauts, flight support crew and equipment to the launch pad. The vehicles have an exclusive interior and exterior design that will provide astronaut and crew comfort and safety while on the nine-mile journey to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. Canoo said it expects to reveal images of the exterior and interior of the CTV later this year.
The Artemis II is the first crewed mission that is part of NASA’s plan to establish a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration. The 10-day flight will test NASA’s foundational human deep space exploration capabilities, the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for the first time with astronauts.