Every company, in or out of the EV industry, seems to be want to build Gigafactories these days. Aspiring EV manufacturer Canoo is pursuing a different strategy, or at least a different terminology. The company plans to rely on several “mega microfactories,” and has now announced that the first will be built near Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The company says it will establish a 400-acre campus at an industrial complex strategically located near some of the region’s busiest thoroughfares. The facility will include “a full commercialization facility” with a paint shop, body shop and general assembly plant, as well as “a low-volume industrialization facility.” It is scheduled to open in 2023, and is expected to create some 2,000 local jobs.

Canoo hopes to bring its first vehicle to market in Q4 2022. The company will partner with VDL Nedcar while the Oklahoma facility is under construction.

Governor Kevin Stitt and other dignitaries came out to Texas Motor Speedway for the announcement ceremony. “Oklahoma has always been a pioneer in the energy industry, and this partnership with Canoo shows that our state is an innovation leader in electric vehicle technology,” said Governor Stitt.

“We ran a multi-state competition and invested millions of dollars to find the right manufacturing facility,” said Canoo Chairman and CEO Tony Aquila. “Oklahoma was a head and shoulders above the other contenders. Our investment in this manufacturing and technology center means we will deliver vehicles faster at scale—and fulfill our mission to bring affordable, purpose-built EVs to Everyone.”

Source: Oklahoma Commerce