NASA and the United States Postal Service (USPS) have ceased using electric vans from the now-bankrupt EV startup Canoo, despite former CEO Tony Aquila's public commitment to support government programs after acquiring the company's assets. The decision by two major U.S. government agencies highlights the significant challenges faced by Canoo, which filed for bankruptcy after years of financial struggles and an inability to establish a market for its electric vans.

NASA Shifts Away from Canoo EVs

NASA, which acquired three Canoo electric vehicles in 2023, initially planned to use the vans for shuttling astronauts to the launchpad for its ambitious Artemis missions to the Moon. However, the space agency informed TechCrunch that Canoo "was no longer able to meet our mission requirements." As of October, NASA has transitioned to leasing the Airstream-built "Astrovan" from Boeing, a vehicle originally commissioned by the aerospace company for its own crewed space missions.

USPS Concludes EV Evaluation

Similarly, the USPS confirmed that the six Canoo electric vehicles it purchased in 2024 "for evaluation purposes" are "no longer in use." In an emailed statement, the postal service declared that its "evaluation has been completed" and "no further investments are anticipated." The USPS, however, declined to provide any specific details or the final results of its assessment.

Prior to its bankruptcy, Canoo also supplied at least one demonstration vehicle to the Department of Defense (DOD). The DOD has not responded to inquiries regarding whether it continues to utilize the van.

Canoo's Bankruptcy and Aquila's Pledge

Canoo officially filed for bankruptcy in January 2025, following a prolonged period of financial instability. Shortly after, in March, former CEO Tony Aquila made a $4 million bid to acquire the startup's assets. Aquila informed the bankruptcy trustee that his "principal motivation" for the purchase was his "desire to honor [Canoo’s] commitment to provide service and support for certain government programs."

Despite Aquila's stated intentions, both NASA and the USPS declined to comment on whether he ever approached them about providing support for the vehicles. Aquila himself did not respond to requests for comment, nor did a lawyer who represented him during the bankruptcy proceedings.

Controversial Asset Sale Unfolds

The bankruptcy judge ultimately approved the sale of Canoo's assets to Aquila in April, though he was not the sole interested party. The bankruptcy trustee revealed that as many as eight entities had signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to evaluate Canoo's intellectual property, prototypes, and equipment. A lawyer for Canoo indicated that several of these parties were close to submitting bids.

Among the interested parties was Harbinger, a California-based electric trucking company founded by former Canoo employees in 2021. Harbinger had accused Canoo of concealing assets from the sale process and alleged that the bankruptcy trustee had "unfairly favored Mr. Aquila" by accepting his offer without broadly marketing the company's assets. Another potential bidder was Charles Garson, a mysterious UK financier who claimed willingness to pay up to $20 million for Canoo's assets, but whose bid was ultimately deemed not formalized in time by the judge.

The trustee and Canoo's lawyers defended Aquila's bid as the most firm and advantageous. They also raised concerns that one of the other potential bidders – though unspecified – could have triggered issues with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) due to its "foreign ownership." This was flagged as a particular problem given Canoo's existing contracts with NASA, the USPS, and the DOD. Both Harbinger and Garson declined to comment on these developments.