Finding new approaches to mobility is an increasingly important priority in the world we live in. Traffic not only congests but pollutes cities, so we need smarter and more sustainable solutions to help people move around quickly and safely. Using electricity to power vehicles is a future-orientated step that many companies are pursuing, but the general design of the car often remains the same. The California-based startup Canoo is rethinking the whole design concept of electric cars but also offers a different solution to allow people to access their autonomous-ready electric vehicles: a subscription model.

Canoo’s design approach is to build a ‘skateboard architecture’ that consists of a common underbody with a range of form factors that sit on top, such as lifestyle, commuter, ride sharing and delivery. Removing the engine compartment, which is not necessary for an electric vehicle but has often been kept as part of the design, makes for a roomier interior

Canoo’s outside the box thinking extends into the business model of car ownership. Buying a car is a big financial investment. Not only do you buy the car, you need to register it, insure it, and service it. Canoo’s model instead means if you need a car at a certain time, you just pay a monthly subscription fee and Canoo takes care of everything else. This is more convenient, more financially sustainable and liberates you from car ownership and its administrative burdens.

Currently, the company is in the development phase and plans to introduce its first vehicle to the market in 2021. To get their innovation to market on time, Canoo chose Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud. The cloud platform shortened their implementation time frame, made it simple to onboard collaborators and quickly access upgrades. Additionally, all participating disciplines – both internal and external – can easily access all shared information and work concurrently, improving collaboration and boosting efficiency.

Learn more!

• Read the case study to understand how Canoo was able to reduce their vehicle production cycle from 4 years to 22 months with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
• Watch the video to find out how the platform on the cloud enables agile onboarding and robust design capabilities for the start-up.