We recently wrote about the shortcomings of EV off-roaders and Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson’s comments about how EV trucks just won’t be affordable without a gas motor. Both of these men are a lot smarter than I, so I read the articles and immediately agreed with them. But last night, I went to the launch event for the Telo MT1 — a tiny electric pickup truck promising 350 miles of range, 0-60 in 4 seconds, 2000 pound of payload, 8-passenger seating, and a sub-$50K asking price — and gotta admit, I’m a fan.
Syling is highly debatable, and I honestly flip flop on it. In some ways, the TELO reminds me a lot of the designs The Bishop drew of a UTV/golf cart mashup. The short front end with tires that look like they’re just barely extending past the front bumper is very reminiscent of the UTV/golf cart world, but its front end is also a bit of VW ID. Buzz thanks to its round, almost cab-over design.
From it’s cabin to the back of the truck, I think it’s the spitting image of a Rivian; see for yourself:
Maybe I’m just seeing things and refuse to differentiate EV trucks from each other, or maybe it’s the fact that they both have a storage tunnel in the bed. Regardless, there are worse trucks to be compared to than an R1T.
The cab-over look makes it look a decent bit like a Japanese Kei-truck (or any other cab-over truck for that matter), and I think that’s what’ll hold you up on the styling here, but if you can swallow that pill, I think you’ll love everything else this truck has to offer. “And what things does it have to offer, Griffin?!” A lot!
View this post on Instagram
If you get the higher end model with dual motors, you’re getting yourself a truck that promises 500 HP, 0-60 in 4 seconds, 350 miles of range, 20-minute 20-80% fast charging of the 106 kWh battery, and a 2,000 pound payload. This version of the truck will run you $49,999 before tax incentives, and if that’s too rich for your blood, check out the single motor , rear-wheel drive option! It’s good for 300 hp, 4.5 second 0-60, 260 miles range, and 1,700 pound payload.
By the way, those payload figures are absurd. Check out this Ford F-150 payload rating chart:
One of TELO’s engineers told me that the company built  its configurator to default to the single motor option because it’s cheaper at $41,520, but they found the majority of preorders were for the dual motor option despite the eight grand price difference. His theory as to why is because at $50,000, you’re still undercutting the $60,000 average price of the gas guzzling alternatives, and that’s all before you get the EV incentives, too.
And since we’re comparing it to the big traditional trucks sold in the US, let’s take a look about how its size compares to a Tacoma:
The photo really says it all here, doesn’t it? You’re getting the same amount of bed in a dramatically reduced footprint and in a more economical vehicle. It’s almost like it’s better to compare this thing to a smaller economy commuter given it’s cute little size. What’s that? The company already made that comparison for us on its website? Well let’s see it then:
Yeah pinch me, I’m dreaming. A truck with the footprint of a frickin MINI. Okay, but these press photos are one thing, let’s see how it looked at the actual event, just hear me out here: the event was packed as hell so I didn’t get as much personal time with it as I would’ve liked, but it’s still worth showing. Check it:
Looking at these first couple of photos, you’ll see that the car is small in stature. I’m 6’2 (bragging) and was absolutely towering over it, as were many people in attendance. The bed of the truck also comes with tie down notches along its base and sides, so you can really use this thing as a work truck and secure your loads whenever you’re hauling. Also: those taillights are just really frickin cool.
Its interior is made out of sustainable materials, largely cork and ocean plastics. The company was also really proud of the way it redesigned the concept of a car seat, opting to have a center post as opposed to the traditional two rails on the seat’s base. The benefit there is that passengers in the rear get to fully extend their legs under the seat in front of them, making the interior feel that much roomier for them. And if you wanna make the ride even roomier:
TELO plans on offering a camper shell type attachment that can turn the truck into a van with optional seats, turning this five seater into an eight seater once set up. But even if you don’t wanna make this thing a people hauler, that bed of the truck can do the almighty:
You can drop the rear seats and make it a midgate like it’s nothing, now becoming eight feet long (with the tailgate up).
You probably wonder how small this thing feels when you’re in it; check out this video by our friends at The Fast Lane Truck:
(And here’s a look at a prototype tube-frame chassis, and here is a stripped down proto off-roading).
You may be wondering: Who even is TELO?
Well, the company’s website has a bio of the three founders, Yves Béhar, Forrest North, and Jason Marks. Here’s a little blurb from the site:
Jason led the Autonomous Vehicles and Driver Assistance Systems test programs at National Instruments (NI), where he was a Chief Business Development Manager.
[…]
Forrest was on the early Tesla team where he developed the battery pack on the Roadster that’s on its way to Mars.
[…]
Yves founded Fuseproject in 1999, an award-winning, international multidisciplinary design studio.
It looks like the company got $5.4 million in VC funding by NEO last March, plus there was some seed capital. The company also likely hopes to obtain funding from the $152 preorder ask, along with the publicity from last night’s launch (which could bring in more investors). TELO says it plans to deliver cars in 2026, using contract manufacturing.
Obviously, this is just a prototype, and whether it will actually come to market is anyone’s guess. Still, the more I looked at the TELO MT1, the more I fell in love with it. What do y’all think?
I’m 100% here for dorky small city trucks. However, looking at the comparison photos from TELO, the bed certainly doesn’t look as long as the Tacoma’s. Also, a major complaint about modern pickups is the height of the bedsides. Making the belt-line and bedside height so tall makes this diminutive truck look even less well-proportioned and portly.
I wonder how much the tariffs play into the pricing of these, with them being an aluminum superstructure. Starting at 41k isn’t a showstopper, but starting at 34k would’ve been a game changer
I’ve looked through the comments and see a lot of people saying they’d buy it used at half the price but wouldn’t touch it new. I get it but, as we all know from our experience with brown diesel station wagons with manual transmissions, if nobody buys one new, the. there won’t be any to buy used. And a new company does have to amortize startup costs for facilities and distribution as well as development and production.
That said, I’d want the to have been around for a little while to know there’s a future for the whole enterprise. Maybe they should partner with a large manufacturer. I think this would make for a pretty nice Ram Lamb, and the stability that Stellantis would provide would reassu…
Oops.
I’ll think on this dilemma a little longer and get back to you.
It’s cute, and I appreciate the small size. I’m not in the market, but hoping Telo is able to get this to market. Too many huge pickups here that never see more cargo than a child seat.
Looks like a little piglet of a pickup. I want one.
So, is this what the Canoo folks have been up to lately?
I like the concept here, I’m just not really sure they’re going to make it.
$50k seems a bit steep, but if they actually hold to that price instead of, oh, I don’t know, say TRIPLING, then, maybe?
(P.S. Why am I now hearing Dana Carvey’s Church Lady asking “Who could it it be? Who could it be?” in my head?)
I think $50k is a BIG ask. Cut the price of both of these in half and ask again.
The price difference between this and a Maverick (both base models) is about 80,000 miles worth of gas.
But with Telo you get the added bonus of unknown company longevity and potential dearth of spare parts! Isn’t that worth anything to you??
Lotsofchops, the battery pack is their design but most of the drivetrain bits (motor, inverter, controller too I think) are off the shelf, so at least those should be sourceable, and probably from the original manufacturers of those components.
Lord Thomas, there might be (probably is) something wrong with my math, but I got a much bigger miles-to-breakeven figure than that:
Assuming a base hybrid Maverick is about $25K MSRP, and a base Telo is about $41K, that makes for a difference of $16K. With gas at $5. a gallon (here in SoCal, it exceeds that often, so in this part of the country $5./gal is conservative) that $16K saved buying the Ford nets you 3,200 gallons of unleaded. Which moves you 124,800 miles, assuming you match the Maverick’s claimed combined 39 MPG.
I actually put a deposit down on a Telo a couple years ago, but probably won’t actually buy one unless they decide to offer a version with a smaller battery at maybe $10K less. In the low $30s I could rationalize it as a city car I could still drag big stuff home in, but maybe I’ll just wait till they’re a few years old and dropping down into the $20s (assuming they make their 2026 debut, I figure I could maybe buy an off-lease one around 2030). 😉
I like it. But I also like odd vehicles and small things. I’d buy it at $25-$35k. $50k is too steep
Happy with any EV truck that’s not just 5 million kwh batteries In a 10,000lb rig, and really hope they make it. The idea of a super simple, functional truck – ice or bev is super appealing.
but I’m not into the looks…it’s almost…too small? It’s still a damn big battery, and just too much $. I don’t hate it though, and definitely some interesting ideas.
I absolutely love everything about it at $30,000. That van conversion topper is killer!
I’ve had a deposit down on one of these (a base model is faster/longer range than I actually need) for about two years now, and even though I’m not positive that I’ll eventually buy one, they can hang on to my $152. for a while longer. $42K base MSRP is a bit much for what would essentially be a city car for me, and I’d probably be wiser to just spend $10-15K on a nice used BMW i3 or even a Mazda MX-30 (we had them here in SoCal). But why be wise when the chance to be foolish beckons?
The only other car I ever put a deposit down on before it was available was a 1998 Mercedes Benz CLK 320 and though it was looked/felt/smelled nice, it was an awfully unreliable car, with seven trips back to the dealer in the first year (one or two trips to repair damage to the car that the dealer had done during previous repairs). Wound up getting rid of it shortly after and would never buy another Mercedes product again… at least not one made after the late 1980s, and preferably quite a bit earlier.
I can see it being a hit at $28k but at $50k for the one most people would want? That’s a nope. I would rather spend the $50k on a used Rivian. But I wish them luck. If it garners enough attention, maybe GM will release an EV Maverick competitor.
$23K would be my max. If I was spending $50K I would get 2 or 3 interesting cheap cars
This is a really cool concept. It would be perfect for outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and mountain biking. I put down the $152 deposit for a reservation. I’d give it 25% or less odds of actually getting to production but it is what I would like to see vs all the giant pickup trucks that are basically commuters.
Yeeeeaahhhh, with such a short front end I wonder what the crash performance will be like.
I had the same thought. I prefer that my legs not be part of the crumple zone.
It is an interesting concept but they would most likely have to modify the front bumper configuration to meet any kind of frontal crash requirements. I’m sure Jason will be disappointed by the lack of a drunk.
I’m not sure a modified front bumper would be enough, surely it needs a proper crumple zone. Which means sheet metal extending out at the front.
Unless it falls under some weird category like golf carts that makes it exempt.
My Wrangler uses the other vehicle as the crumple zone.
VW ID Buzz has a very short front end and gets good crash ratings. The battery pack in the floor of EVs tend to make a very good base structure for crash protection. Of course we will have to see how this one does but with the simulation software available today they should be able get something good without a lot of iteration.
Cool idea, but it’s not gonna work out.
They have SO MANY more hoops to go through before this becomes a production reality.
And even then… could it be price competitive with a Maverick (or something else)?
If I’m wrong, I’ll be happy about that, and cheer their success.
I loathe the fact that so many EVs still look like ICE vehicles with their long hoods that rob the interior of the vehicle of additional space. The BUZZ and this are respectable for not having fake hoods and maximizing footprint to usable volume ratio.
This is awesome if it really is as advertised!
But I’m also not a typical truck guy.
Nope. Just like Ford found out with the Maverick, $19,995 is the number – not $50K
$25,000 is the new $19,995, so they are halfway there!
And by the time this comes out $50k will be the new $25k, if it isn’t already.
This should be priced to fight the Ford Maverick (markups aside). Start this at 28k and I’m listening.
Otherwise, why would I want a tiny EV from a tech startup for the price of a Honda Passport?
I like how on the Commercial page where they where they cite its ability to access any tight urban job site, it is shown parked in front of a Prius, and notably behind it across the street is a VW bus with a commercial-looking roof rack.
I am unreasonably excited about the van conversion part. This looks like what I wanted the Canoo to be, but their interior layout just wasn’t working for me. The TELO really has my use cases nailed. Bring on the EV minitruck/van things!
I like it a lot. Doesn’t do any of the performative masculinity that most trucks do…makes me wonder how many folks will seriously look at it. Seems like they will have some conquest sales to former tesla owners, but I don’t know that truck people will be lining up.
I like this very much. Kind of reminds me of a mash up of a Rivian and the now dead Canoo pick up. I was a fan of the Canoo design and was sorry to see it vanish. The size of the Telo is more to my liking than the Canoo. I could go for this if it ever comes to market. Good review RG.
If it has the space it promises, it’s really cool.