Beneath the streamlined glamour and shiny technology of the auto shows, an alternative automotive future is quietly taking shape. This month marked the opening of a waitlist for a very different kind of car, the Canoo. This LA-based start-up is quietly shifting perceptions of what urban transit actually needs to be, driven by function and available technology, rather than the raw, emotive aesthetics of brands.
‘Cars always have been designed to convey a certain image and emotion; however, we chose to completely rethink car design and focus on what future users will actually need. Thus, we came up with this loft-inspired vehicle,' says Richard Kim, who oversees design at Canoo. Kim’s career has been defined by the cutting edge. A former employee at BMW, where he was one of the core team behind the BMW i3 and i8 electric cars, from concept through to production, he also had a spell at Faraday Future, the bold but troubled start-up that never succeeded in launching a car.
The Canoo approach is far more modest, aiming at what customers want and need, rather than offering them up the ultimate in desirable design. ‘Two years ago, Canoo began with a simple question: ‘How can we make electric vehicles easier to access and a more sensible option for people living in cities?', the company states. Their LA location is an undeniable generator of ideas, for this is a city where traffic is a way of life. The car's living room like configuration and autonomous ability is aimed at making the most of this imposed daily downtime.
Up the coast, another start-up has similar ideas. Only this time, the backing is more conventional. Cruise is General Motors' autonomous car division, a San Francisco-based studio that wants to absorb its high-tech surroundings. Cruise's first concept, unveiled this week, is the Origin, another lozenge-like living room on wheels that's due to begin testing soon. Canoo, on the other hand, is already inviting Angelenos to become early adopters and sign up for ownership free transit.
Cruise Origin in San Francisco’s cultural district
Canoo Design
INFORMATION
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
Peugeot brings back a classic performance badge for the electric era: meet the E-208 GTiPeugeot has unveiled the new E-208 GTi, a performance EV designed to hark back to a golden age of compact sports cars
-
This 18th-century Puglian villa has been restored with contemporary touchesThe updated stonemason's workshop is a haven of centuries-old brick and sophisticated made-in-Italy design
-
Slate is an ultra-simple EV truck intended as an affordable and customisable workhorseSlate designer Tisha Johnson discusses her role at the US electric truck start-up, a company that wants its customers to have complete freedom of expression
-
We drive the World and UK Car of the Year, the all-electric Kia EV3The new Kia EV3 is an EV for the masses that doesn’t skimp on design detail, features and overall functional elegance
-
The Peugeot E-5008 is an adept but ostentatious take on the all-electric SUVPeugeot has swapped its seductive design language for something shoutier and less discrete as it attempts to conquer the electric SUV segment with the new E-5008
-
The Micra (finally) goes electric as Nissan ramps up its range of EVsThe compact Nissan Micra was once a global bestseller. After getting an early head start on electric mobility, the Japanese giant is looking to a new version of its small car to recharge its status
-
Mika Cars wants to build the Mino, a sporty, ultra-compact electric two-seater for the open roadAn evolution of Mika’s Meon electric beach buggy, the little Mino is an ultra-light EV with big-car aspirations
-
Our pick of the reveals at the 2025 New York Auto Show, from concept SUVs to new EVsInterest in overseas brands remained strong at this year’s NY Auto Show despite the threat of tariffs designed to boost American-owned brands
-
Mercedes-Benz previews its next-gen people mover with an ultra-luxury EV conceptThe Mercedes-Benz Vision V Concept is an art deco picture palace on wheels, designed to immerse passengers in parallel worlds as they travel
-
2025 Seoul Mobility Show report: all that's new and notableOpened at a time of high national drama, the 2025 Seoul Mobility Show has gone on to underscore Korea’s place at the cutting edge of the auto industry. Guy Bird was there
