Walmart, the country’s largest retail began with founder Sam Walton driving often a 1979 Ford F-150 pickup truck loaded with merchandise, has taken a giant leap of automotive faith.

It has purchased 4,500 Canoo electronic Lifestyle Delivery Vehicles (LDV).

The futuristic-looking van debuted as a concept vehicle in 2019 at the Los Angeles Auto Show and will be used for delivery of the company’s online orders.

Walmart First Canoo Fleet Buyer

Walmart bought the vehicles, announced in 2021 with a starting price of $34,750, as part of its goal to eliminate emissions from its operations by 2040.

The Canoo is on track to start production in late 2022 and will be delivered to the first customers, including Walmart, in 2023.

The vehicle, a spacious pod-like minivan seat up to seven. It’s 173 inches long, or about 14 inches shorter than a Tesla Model Y, but boasts super interior cargo space, 120 cubic feet.

Walmart Connects With Canoo in Bentonville

The LDV is based on Canoo’s own platform which incorporates the battery and powertrain, as well as a steer-by-wire system, with no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and wheels. The battery is an 80-kilowatt-hour unit estimated to deliver around 250 miles of range.

Production of Canoo vehicles will be handled at a plant under construction in Pryor, Oklahoma. The company was previously headquartered in Los Angeles but moved operations last year to Bentonville, Arkansas.

Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville. Its founder’s pickup truck is parked in from the retailer’s original store in downtown Bentonville