Never heard of the Canoo electric pickup truck? That’s alright, neither had we. But after some rough paper napkin math, this cab-over motor electric truck may wind up being cheaper than the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning. It’s also a lot stranger, more of a concept than a feasible vehicle, which is why we’re emphasizing the “might.”

The Canoo electric truck is hypothetically cheaper than the F-150 Lightning.

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck was debuted with a starting price of $39,774. In terms of electric pickup trucks, that’s pretty good, and even the base model work truck is packed with a backup generator and power outlets. It’s utilitarian to the max, capable of towing 7,700 lbs.

But the model most people will want to buy, with added creature comforts, longer range, and a better towing capacity bumps the price up to $55,000. In other words, that starting price is really only good for businesses who want a bare-bones electric truck. Something that’ll get them into the segment for as little money as possible.

Now, before we continue, it’s important to know that the Canoo is more than just a truck. It can also come as a “lifestyle vehicle,” which most would refer to as a minivan. The announced starting price for that was $34,750, but that’s for the delivery spec with just two seats and 1,400 lbs of payload capacity. The Premium spec, the third-highest trim available, will cost $49,950 and include a panoramic sunroof, seating for seven, and a more comfortable interior.

But what about the truck you ask? See, that’s where things get complicated. Canoo has yet to announce the prices of their electric pickup. But assuming it’s priced more like the Canoo Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle, we’d say it’d start closer to $40,000, and cost $45,000 for a consumer-oriented model. After all, no matter what Canoo electric truck trim you choose, they’ll all come with the same, multi-purpose bed.

The Canoo’s multi-purpose bed has aces up every sleeve

You’ve heard of Chevy’s multifunction tailgate, an impressive feature no doubt. But the Canoo electric truck is optimized in such a way where there are hidden tricks everywhere. We’ll start at the front and work our way back, with a fold-out workstation/desk.

Like the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, the Canoo electric truck has power outlets built-in. However, while the F-150 Lightning pro has four altogether (with others available), the Canoo stuffed six up front and three in the bed. And they claim that using your electrics all day long won’t even drain the battery by 10% of its charge. A lofty statement, but certainly impressive.

Moving onto the sides, there are two pull-out toolboxes that also serve as stepping stools. Store what you want in there, and climb in to get better access to the bed. But of all the nifty party tricks in the Canoo, the tailgate might be the coolest.

The Canoo starts with a six-foot bed, six inches longer than the Ford F-150 Lightning. But with a couple pulls, and that bed extends from six feet to eight feet long, adapting to all your storage and stuff transporting needs. The payload is also estimated to be 1,800 lbs, the exact same amount as the F-150 Lightning.

But, as previously mentioned, you probably hadn’t heard of the Canoo. That’s because neither the lifestyle vehicle nor the truck has been released to the public. And other than the bed’s functionality, all the numbers are speculation.

When will the Canoo electric truck be available?

Canoo hopes for the electric pickup truck to be available as early as 2023, with pre-orders open now. If you want to sink $100 on a completely refundable deposit, you’re more than welcome to. Though there are a few other tidbits of info you might want to know.

Because these are all estimates, there’s no way of knowing exactly what the Canoo will be like yet. They claim it’ll get over 200 miles of range per charge, which is about where the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning’s 230-mile base range sits. And they aim to achieve over 500 horsepower, more than the 426 horsepower of the base lightning, and right around the 563 hp of the extended range package.

But again, whether the Canoo will live up to those, or even make it to production, is up for debate. Far too many of these promising electric cars never leave the factory floor, with the big names moving too fast and having too big a budget for new independents to compete. That said, we hope to see the Canoo on the road someday soon.