Massive new car factory for Pryor

[SXSW]

From the Tulsa World regarding the Mayes County TIF:

Mayes County commissioners earlier this year approved a 12-year, $300 million tax increment financing district (TIF) in anticipation of the project. Challenged in court, that TIF now will be placed on the November ballot for voters to decide, Tom Sawyer, the attorney who spearheaded that effort, said Monday in an email.

[Jake]

What are the odds voters approve this?

[SXSW]

Tulsa was one of 21 metro regions selected for development of an Advanced Mobility Cluster that will include a research center at OSU-Tulsa.  This focuses on unmanned aerial systems but also ties into the developing EV manufacturing cluster.  Interesting that the region has 3 of the 21 selected; Oklahoma City was one for its life sciences sector and Wichita was another for aerospace.

https://tulsaworld.com/business/local/39-million-in-federal-funding-coming-for-advanced-mobility-programs-in-tulsa-area/article_bb46c724-2a08-11ed-b1fe-23065828ddab.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Tulsa_World_Work_&_Money&fbclid=IwAR32CjMCh79tHKoQryiWF3R9jsWsG-ZuK7GPHWB4lC3N4PYYhVtJAP2tIW4

[LandArchPoke]

Tulsa was one of 21 metro regions selected for development of an Advanced Mobility Cluster that will include a research center at OSU-Tulsa.  This focuses on unmanned aerial systems but also ties into the developing EV manufacturing cluster.  Interesting that the region has 3 of the 21 selected; Oklahoma City was one for its life sciences sector and Wichita was another for aerospace.

https://tulsaworld.com/business/local/39-million-in-federal-funding-coming-for-advanced-mobility-programs-in-tulsa-area/article_bb46c724-2a08-11ed-b1fe-23065828ddab.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Tulsa_World_Work_&_Money&fbclid=IwAR32CjMCh79tHKoQryiWF3R9jsWsG-ZuK7GPHWB4lC3N4PYYhVtJAP2tIW4

Tulsa and Wichita need to team up more often on stuff - I'd like to see Tulsa start doing what they are with NWA. Between the two MSA's there's a lot of Aerospace talent and potential.

Could use better transportation connections to that area. Upgrade US 75 through Bartlesville and then have it spur off northwest to Wichita.  Really it would be nice to pursue this as a long-term I-45 corridor that could eventually go all the way up from Dallas to Wichita.

Establish something similar to Mid-America in Bartlesville - while it's not exactly half way between the two regions it's fairly close and could help spur a lot of growth in South Kansas around Coffeyville, Caney, Independence as well.

[SXSW]

Tulsa and Wichita need to team up more often on stuff - I'd like to see Tulsa start doing what they are with NWA. Between the two MSA's there's a lot of Aerospace talent and potential.

Could use better transportation connections to that area. Upgrade US 75 through Bartlesville and then have it spur off northwest to Wichita.  Really it would be nice to pursue this as a long-term I-45 corridor that could eventually go all the way up from Dallas to Wichita.

Establish something similar to Mid-America in Bartlesville - while it's not exactly half way between the two regions it's fairly close and could help spur a lot of growth in South Kansas around Coffeyville, Caney, Independence as well.

There were talks long ago about developing an "aerospace triangle" linking OKC, Tulsa and Wichita.  I don't think anything ever came of it though.

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1989/11/21/city-in-new-aerospace-triangle/62587556007/

[tulsamatt]

Could use better transportation connections to that area. Upgrade US 75 through Bartlesville and then have it spur off northwest to Wichita.  Really it would be nice to pursue this as a long-term I-45 corridor that could eventually go all the way up from Dallas to Wichita.

Interesting you mention this. I heard a rumor recently of renewed OTA interest in the David Walters era "Osage Turnpike" extending NW from the northern terminus of the LL Tisdale, through Skiatook and eventually toward the KS border. Anyone else hear anything of this?

[Red Arrow]

Interesting you mention this. I heard a rumor recently of renewed OTA interest in the David Walters era "Osage Turnpike" extending NW from the northern terminus of the LL Tisdale, through Skiatook and eventually toward the KS border. Anyone else hear anything of this?

Just what I always wanted, another turnpike connecting to Tulsa.

[heironymouspasparagus]

.

I saw my first Rivian pickup truck last week.  Not bad....not great.

Was in Tennessee.

[swake]

.

I saw my first Rivian pickup truck last week.  Not bad....not great.

Was in Tennessee.

I've seen Rivian vans in Tulsa. Look at your Amazon delivery truck, some of them are Rivian.



https://www.teslarati.com/amazon-rivian-electric-delivery-van-tulsa-oklahoma/

[tulsabug]

I've seen a white white R1T rolling around midtown

[heironymouspasparagus]

I've seen a white white R1T rolling around midtown

One I saw was black and I thought the A/C is gonna drain that puppy fast!

[Red Arrow]

One I saw was black and I thought the A/C is gonna drain that puppy fast!

Probably the reason there are so many white Chevy Suburbans in Texas.  Black vehicle might be welcome in the northern states in winter.

[LandArchPoke]

https://www.thestreet.com/investing/huge-rental-company-places-big-order-with-tesla-rival?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO

Two big new orders in the last two weeks.

Zeeba (slightly under 5,000 total), 3,000 by end of 2024 is the most recent.

Kingbee ordered 9,000 binding with an option for up to 18,600 a little over a week ago.

That's about 10,000 vehicles they'll have to produce in the next 24 months with the 4,500 initial orders for Walmart (previous order a while back).

All a pretty big deal that could make Canoo one of the more viable EV start ups if they keep getting traction. The delivery market really is a massive opportunity and the only other legit EV competitor is Rivian who is tied up by Amazon for the most part so Canoo can really go as far as management can take them. If they can get a few more solid orders like these two the odds of them going bankrupt get slimmer and slimmer. Especially now that they have outsourced manufacturing for the first orders. Not that great for Oklahoma but I'd rather them not rush the Pryor factory and get their footing solid first.

[patric]

Electric vehicle start-up company Canoo plans to build its own EV battery module manufacturing facility at Mid-America Industrial Park in Pryor, the company announced Wednesday.

“We are accelerating our hiring plans in Pryor with the establishment of our EV battery module manufacturing facility, which will produce our proprietary battery modules, energy management system and thermal control technology for our MPP (multipurpose) platform,” Canoo Chairman and CEO Tony Aquila said in a statement. Aquila said the plant represents the first building block for the company’s production ramp strategy.

Canoo announced a year ago that it intends to provide at least 1,500 jobs by building a factory with 3 million-plus square feet of space at MAIP. Aquila said earlier this year that a plant capable of producing 300,000 vehicles annually could be operational at the industrial park by 2024.

MAIP CEO David Stewart said the battery facility will result in about 200 jobs.
“The location (of the battery facility) has been strategically selected due to its proximity to our battery cell partner Panasonic and our future mega-microfactory,” Aquila said. “In addition, we will be the first EV company to produce our battery modules with hydro power from the Grand River Dam Authority. We will work closely with and hire within the surrounding communities to create an EV ecosystem in the region.”

In July, Panasonic Energy announced that it will invest $4 billion in an EV battery factory in De Soto, Kansas, to supply high-capacity batteries for Tesla. Canoo had previously announced Panasonic as its battery cell provider.

The most basic component of the battery system, the battery module contains the energy-storing battery cells. Once online, the battery facility in Pryor will be capable of about 3,200 megawatt hours of battery module manufacturing capacity.

Canoo soon will begin renovations on a 100,000-square-foot building it leased from the park on a 10-acre campus. Delivery of the secured manufacturing equipment is expected in the first quarter of 2023. The location will produce proprietary battery modules on high-capacity assembly lines with state-of-the-art automated machinery.

“It will ramp up quickly,” Stewart said. “They are starting on the renovation on the facility now to put in office space. The equipment is on its way to be installed in the first quarter. We would expect them to start hiring during that first quarter and kick off employment, which is key to get prepared for the ultimate manufacturing facility that they will build here.”

Mid-America reportedly remains in play for an EV battery manufacturing plant.

The Wall Street Journal reported in late August that Oklahoma is being considered for such a facility, citing people familiar with the matter. Panasonic Holdings, a supplier to electric car manufacturer Tesla, is in negotiations to build the factory at a cost of about $4 billion, the newspaper reported.

MAIP was a finalist for the Kansas factory and had offered millions of dollars in incentives to land the economic development in an effort labeled “Project Ocean.”
https://tulsaworld.com/business/canoo-says-it-will-build-electric-vehicle-battery-module-facility-in-pryor/article_ead66306-5aae-11ed-8f3d-53e3143b7ea7.html

[shavethewhales]

Meh, we'll see. At least things are in motion and they are working on the buildings. I doubt Canoo will ever be as big as originally imagined, but it's nice to have something in the works.