BENTONVILLE, AR—Walmart Inc. plans to purchase more than 4,000 electric delivery vans from Canoo. With options to eventually acquire up to 10,000 EVs, the announcement has breathed new life into the startup automaker, which has been struggling to ramp up production. However, the deal prevents Canoo from selling its vehicles to Amazon, which already has a contract with Rivian Automotive.

The Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle (LDV) will be assembled in Pryor, OK. It is designed for last-mile small package and grocery delivery applications. The vehicle will be built on a multi-purpose platform that integrates the motors, battery module and other components.

“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,” claims Tony Aquila, chairman and CEO of Canoo. “This is the winning algorithm to seriously compete in the last-mile delivery race. 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."