Canoo, a company developing electric vehicles (EV) with a skateboard chassis for personal and business use, released a video showcasing the performance of its self-contained skateboard platform for the first time.
For this video, Canoo transformed its skateboard into a cabin-less “skatekart” and professional racing driver, Sara Price, tested the performance of the platform, which will serve as the backbone of all Canoo vehicles.
“I was blown away by how fun it was to drive,” said Price. “The overall performance was impressive. It felt powerful, with smooth and dynamic handling, especially during high speed cornering. The drive-by-wire steering was something new for me and it felt like it was built for the track.”
High-Performance Powertrain
Canoo developed a complete set of powertrain systems ideally suited for its modular skateboard platform. The powertrain systems were specifically developed to offer class competitive performance across its full range of vehicles. It supports dual, front or rear motor configurations, and is capable of achieving up to 500 horsepower and over 380 km of range with dual motors. The rear primary unit is designed to deliver a maximum 300 horsepower and 450 Newton meters of torque, and the front unit is designed to deliver a maximum of 200 horsepower and 320 Newton meters of torque. Efficiency of the motors is designed to peak at 97% which is optimized for urban driving environments.
Unlocking Potential with Steer-by-Wire
Canoo’s skateboard platform includes a steer-by-wire system, which was inspired by performance race cars. The variable ratio, speed sensitive by-wire electronic power steering introduces an opportunity to leverage software to customize the driving experience depending on user preferences and use cases.
Independent Skateboard, Flexible Use
Canoo’s skateboard is modular, offering a fully functional rolling chassis, so much so that it can be driven entirely independently. The skateboard architecture directly houses all of the components of an electric vehicle, including its steer-by-wire platform, a transverse composite leaf spring suspension system, an advanced fully electric drivetrain, a proprietary battery compartment and battery thermal management systems, power electronics, vehicle controls, crash absorption structures and autonomous driving components, among others.
“We wanted to showcase our skateboard’s performance and prove that our rolling chassis is a truly self-contained unit with everything needed to drive built inside,” said Ulrich Kranz, In Charge of Canoo. “We have revolutionized the platform design concept with a chassis that can be easily married with different cabins, with little adjustment, enabling us to get new vehicles on the road faster and cheaper. By keeping the most critical and expensive part of the vehicle uniform in all our models, it allows us to rapidly and cost effectively bring to market a full line-up of EVs.”
Canoo’s core technological backbone is its skateboard vehicle platform that is common to all its vehicles. By utilizing a common platform, Canoo will be able to rapidly scale subsequent vehicle programs at a significantly lower capital cost because it reduces expenses in research and development, testing and manufacturing.
The dimensions of Canoo’s skateboard were deliberately selected to suit the needs of more than 75% of the most common passenger and light duty commercial vehicles on the road today.
World’s Flattest Electric Vehicle Platform
Canoo has developed the world’s flattest skateboard platform, which enables passenger and cargo volume on a small vehicle footprint.
To help achieve this, Canoo’s suspension utilizes a double wishbone with two fiberglass leaf springs, mounted transversely in the front and rear of the platform. The dampers are mounted to the frame, eliminating the need for large shock towers that take up vital cabin space. The entire suspension system is incorporated into the skateboard and sits below the height of the tires.
