Retail giant Walmart says its network is so extensive it can deliver to 80 percent of Americans within reach of its stores and fulfillment centers in the U.S. with same-day, last-mile deliveries. The plan is to tackle these online orders for groceries and other retail goods with a fleet of zero-emission last-mile delivery vehicles, and Walmart has just made a deal with EV startup Canoo to pad out its fleet (which already includes some Ford e-Transit vans) beginning next year.
Both companies have signed a definitive agreement for Walmart to purchase 4,500 all-electric delivery vans built on Canoo's Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle (LDV) platform, with an option for purchase of up to 10,000 vans total, for now. Advance deliveries of the van will be delivered to Walmart for exact configuration refinement in the coming weeks, with the van set to join the retail fleet next year. Canoo's LDV is scheduled to begin production in Q4 of 2022.
"Walmart's massive store footprint provides a strategic advantage in today's growing 'Need it now' mindset and an unmatched opportunity for growing EV demand, especially at today's gas prices," said Tony Aquila, Investor, Chairman and CEO of Canoo. "Our LDV has the turning radius of a small passenger vehicle on a parking friendly, compact footprint, yet the payload and cargo space of a commercial delivery vehicle. This is the winning algorithm to seriously compete in the last mile delivery race, globally."
As part of Walmart's goal to achieve zero emissions by 2040, the company will have Walmart associates drive to deliver online orders, including via Walmart's GoLocal delivery service. "Today, the closest Walmart to customers is right in their pockets - it's the Walmart app. By continuing to expand our last mile delivery fleet in a sustainable way, we're able to provide customers and Walmart+ members with even more access to same-day deliveries while keeping costs low," said David Guggina, senior vice president of innovation and automation, Walmart U.S.
Canoo will build its vans at a manufacturing site in Pryor, Oklahoma, and Canoo's corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas is not far from Walmart's HQ, easing collaboration and innovation between the two companies going forward, a press release stated. Canoo's other major commitment thus far is with NASA, with the automaker developing unique LDVs for the Project Artemis moon missions.
MotorTrend was founded in 1949 and is internationally recognized as one of the leading brands in the automotive category. The MotorTrend brand is composed primarily of Discovery’s MotorTrend Network; the award-winning website MotorTrend.com and MotorTrend App subscription video on-demand service, and MotorTrend magazine. MotorTrend’s mantra is to embrace, entertain, and empower the motoring world.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
