Jay Leno Takes a Good Hard Look at the Subscription-Only canoo EV

canoo was announced in September 2019 as a “loft on wheels” that would release drivers from the burden of car ownership. As such, it would only be available on subscription, which would cover anything from the actual car to maintenance, insurance and other assorted taxes. The idea behind canoo is that we’re moving towards a future in which people might not want to be tied down to a car anymore.

The idea is baffling to Leno, no matter how much he tries to disguise it. His most recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, from last week, features only the canoo EV in what commenters have dubbed 40 minutes of the most awkward and boring televised automotive content in recent years. Even those who agree that canoo is a sound idea hate the way the canoo people are able to sell it.

At the beginning of the episode, which you can find in full at the bottom of the page, Leno’s facial expressions are telling. “I’m a guy who likes to own things,” he even says at one point, which is the understatement of the century: he is a guy who’s had hundreds of cars and about just as many motorcycles in his collector’s life. The idea that he could pay for a car that he wouldn’t own doesn’t sit right with him.

He also compares the canoo to a “pod” and an “appliance, like a fridge,” which may or may not have been a subtle jab at its brick-like body. On the bright side, he appreciates the “greenhouse” and the ample space in the back, as well as the fact that automotive designer Richard Kim placed high emphasis on safety features.

The episode includes footage of two separate testdrives in the canoo (albeit both take place at ridiculously slow speeds), a look at the tech inside the little pod, long chats with members of the team, and plenty of rehashed information on specs. Kim says canoo is eyeing a 2021 delivery for Los Angeles, and that they’ve hit all the milestones so far. The plan is to make a city-by-city expansion.