Canoo’s Artemis crew vehicles arrive at Kennedy Space Center
NASA’s Artemis program and the preparations for the Artemis 2 mission are in full swing. Flight hardware is arriving at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to construct the giant SLS rocket, and crewed hardware is also being delivered. The Artemis astronauts’ first ride on launch day is now in procession of Canoo’s fully electric crew transport vehicles.
Artemis, NASA’s program aimed at returning humanity to the Moon and establishing a permanent presence, began with the launch of CAPSTONE on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket in June 2022. This mission paved the way for testing the orbit that the Orion spacecraft would follow during lunar missions. Last November, NASA launched its first Space Launch System rocket with an Orion capsule, which traveled around the Moon and returned. This mission was a full test of the rocket before the first crewed flight is scheduled for late 2024 to early 2025.
One crucial aspect of launching crew into space is transporting them to the launch pad. Throughout NASA’s history, variations of Astrovans have been used to transport crews for Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Shuttle missions. The most iconic of these was a modified Airstream motorhome used during the Shuttle era, capable of carrying the entire crew, with suit technicians, to LC-39A or B for launch.
For Artemis, the iconic Airstream’s shiny metal exteriors have been replaced by Canoo’s full glass roofs and electric motors. NASA has announced that it has received a fleet of three Canoo electric SUVs, which have been modified to transport Artemis crew and technicians from KSC’s Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to LC-39B.
We are thrilled to be a part of the Artemis missions and to deliver NASA’s first zero-emission built for mission crew transportation vehicles. It’s a very proud day for Canoo and all of our partners who worked so hard to ensure we perform our part to transport the astronauts for the first nine miles of every launch.
Tony Aquila, Chairman and CEO, Canoo
Canoo was awarded the contract in April 2022, making it one of the fastest turnarounds for the Artemis Program from contract to delivery. The early delivery of these vehicles, well ahead of the Artemis 2 mission, will allow NASA teams to practice the drive to the launch pad and familiarize themselves with all the procedures involved in moving the crew.
The nine-mile journey will be the crew’s final trip on Earth before being launched towards the Moon for a duration of up to a month. The Canoo vehicles are equipped to transport astronauts fully suited in NASA’s Orion Crew Survival System, an updated version of the iconic orange flight suits worn by Shuttle crews.
Canoo’s vehicle will be NASA’s first crew transport van to be powered entirely by batteries, although it is not the first electric crew vehicle. That distinction belongs to Tesla, which operates a fleet of Model Xs for SpaceX’s crews flying on the Crew Dragon spacecraft. These vehicles are used by NASA, International Space Station partners, and commercial customers like Axiom and the Inspiration4 mission.
Unfortunately, the third component of the crew transport trident, Boeing’s “Astrovan II,” which will be used for crewed Starliner flights, is a modified Airstream Atlas and will use a traditional engine. However, the future lies in electric vehicles, and when humanity returns to the Moon, the world will witness their journey to the launch pad powered solely by electricity.
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With 615 horsepower, the Cadillac Lyriq-V is the quickest Caddie to date. Cadillac’s first V-Series EV will outsprint a CT5-V Blackwing, and it can be yours for under $80,000.
The 2026 Lyriq-V EV is the fastest Cadillac ever
We knew it was coming soon. Cadillac teased the Lyriq-V for the first time in late October, giving a sneak peek at its first electric V-Series vehicle.
Cadillac’s performance brand is known for iconic sports cars like the CT5-V Blackwing, but the new EV pushes the “V-Series sub-brand to new heights,” boasted John Roth, vice president of Global Cadillac.
As the first EV to wear the V-Series badge, Cadillac promised the Lyriq-V would be powerful, but we didn’t know it would be this fast.
Cadillac officially introduced the 2026 Lyriq-V on Thursday, revealing additional specs, prices, and more. With an estimated 615 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque and a standard dual motor AWD powertrain, the EV is expected to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds, making it the quickest Cadillac to date.
At that speed, it would outrun the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing with a 0 to 60 mph sprint time in 3.4 seconds. Although the CT-5 packs slightly more horsepower (668 hp), the Lyriq-V’s EV powertrain unlocks more powerful, instant acceleration.
The added power is enabled by an added Velocity Max feature, which “unleashes the vehicle’s full performance capability” with a surge of power and acceleration.
Interior and exterior design, prices, and features
The V-Series model differs from the traditional Lyriq with a lower center of gravity and custom front and rear bumpers. It also features V-Series badging on the rear doors and tailgate, V-pattern mesh on the lower grille, and 22″ wheels with the logo etched into the side.
Inside, the performance EV borrows features from the Lyriq, such as a panoramic fixed glass roof, a 23-speaker AKG sound system, and a massive 33″ LED display screen.
Cadillac distinguishes the V-Series from the traditional Lyriq by adding the V-Series logo, a V-mode button, and a sports rim with hand grips. Other unique features include a custom infotainment experience with a “V-Series persona,” a signature V-Series illuminated sill plate and V-pattern detailing on the seatbacks.
A 102 kWh battery pack is expected to provide a range of up to 285 miles. The 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V starts at $79,990, including the destination fee.
In comparison, the Tesla Model Y Performance starts at $51,490 and has an EPA-estimated range of up to 277 miles. It also includes AWD and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.
Cadillac’s new performance EV will be sold in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Other markets will be announced closer to launch. GM will begin producing the new Lyriq-V at its Spring Hill, TN, manufacturing plant in early 2025.
What do you think of the Cadillac’s new performance EV? Would you buy one for $80,000? Or are you sticking with the Model Y Performance? Drop us a comment below to let us know.
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Tesla has announced some important price hikes across its entire lineup in Canada amid incentives going away and a struggling Canadian dollar.
The Canadian EV market is already having problems amid announcements that the federal incentive program will be eliminated. The same thing is happening to Quebec’s own program, which was the most generous in the country—making the province the leader in EV adoption in Canada.
Now, Tesla, which sells more EVs than anyone in Canada, announced that it is increasing prices on all its lineup.
Here are the price increases for each Tesla model:
- Model 3:
- Long Range RWD: $4,000
- Long Range AWD: $8,000
- Performance: $9,000
- Model Y: $4,000
- Model S: $4,000
- Model X: $4,000
Buyers can still get $1,300 CAD off of new Model Y, Model S, or Model X purchases with a referral code.
Tesla never comments on price changes and therefore, we don’t know the official reasons for these specific price increases, but we can make some educated guesses.
First off, the Canadian dollar has crashed in comparison to USD over the last few months:
Furthermore, the timing of announcing that the price increases will take place on February 1st has led some to link this to the upcoming tariff wars that President Trump signaled against Canada.
The US President said that he plans to impose 25% tariffs on any goods coming from Canada, and Canada said that it would retaliate.
Electrek’s Take
Obviously, this is not good for the EV market in Canada.
The removal of incentives is already hurting the market, and now the base price of the most popular EVs in the country, Tesla vehicles, is also going up before incentives.
This will be a bad year for EVs in Canada.
Hopefully, things will settle down and we will get more clarity once the tariff war actually starts.
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