Oklahoma has long held itself to be an oil and gas state, but that well seems to be running dry and the state is hanging its future energy hopes on a potential mirage.
It’s old news that both Tesla and Panasonic have given a hard pass to the Sooner State, opting instead for Texas and Kansas, respectively, but that’s not stopping Oklahomans from dreaming of electric sheep.
Canoo, which bills itself as “a leading high-tech advanced mobility company,” this month announced its plans to build a manufacturing facility in Oklahoma City, with claims that they intend to hire 500 people and push out 20,000 electric vehicles in 2023.
“[Canoo] delivers on our plan to bring high-paying light-blue collar jobs to Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City facility has significant room for expansion and is a proven location for large scale production, with an established transportation ecosystem, including rail,” Chairman and CEO Tony Aquila wrote in a press release that just about every news agency in the state bought hook, line and sinker.
And while it would certainly be an unprecedented move for the state to actually be involved in a progressive business venture like EVs, Canoo has yet to produce a single vehicle, regardless of how many jobs they promise or vehicles Walmart pledges to buy in advance.
Here’s hoping Oklahoma isn’t trading its dependency on the oil industry for a future in the snake oil industry because it’s obvious that established companies want no part in this state’s promises from Republican leadership.
