Alibaba and the electric-vehicle startup Canoo discussed a partnership last year, though the talks didn't result in a deal, three people with knowledge of the matter told Business Insider. A Canoo spokesperson confirmed that those discussions took place.
In one scenario the two companies considered, Canoo would have made an electric delivery vehicle for the logistics company Cainiao, an Alibaba subsidiary, the Canoo spokesperson said, similar to how Rivian is making electric vans for Amazon. Another possibility involved the integration of Alibaba-related content into Canoo's app, which will serve as the infotainment system for its debut vehicle, the people familiar with the discussions said.
The Canoo spokesperson said the conversations mostly took place in 2018 and ended in early 2019. Jack Ma, Alibaba's founder and former chairman, visited Canoo's Torrance, CA, headquarters in 2018, the Canoo spokesperson said.
The talks ended because Alibaba would have wanted a delivery vehicle ready within six months, a timeline that was not realistic for Canoo, the Canoo spokesperson said. Canoo plans to release a delivery vehicle in 2023.
Alibaba did not respond to a request for comment.
Canoo ultimately found other partners in the tech and automotive industries, including Blackberry and Hyundai. The former will license its QNX operating system to Canoo to help power driver-assistance features, while the latter will co-develop an EV platform with the startup. Canoo is working with at least one additional automaker and tech company, the startup said in an August investor presentation, though it has not disclosed their names.
Founded in 2017, Canoo has positioned its first EV as a descendant of the station wagon, minivan, and SUV. The vehicle, which shares a name with the company, will be available through a subscription service in 2022. The company plans to go public through a reverse merger with the special-purpose acquisition company Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. IV later this year.
Alibaba invested in another EV startup, Xpeng, in 2017, and has backed the automated-driving startup AutoX. The retail giant is also developing proprietary technology for self-driving vehicles.
Alibaba is just one of a number of tech firms that have become increasingly entwined with the auto industry over the past decade. Others include Alphabet and Apple, which are developing automated-driving systems, and Amazon, which bought the robotaxi startup Zoox this year and has partnered with the EV-maker Rivian.
Are you a current or former Canoo employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@bjinnox.com, on Signal at 646-768-4712, or via his encrypted email address mmatousek@protonmail.com.
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