Automotive

Telo invites drivers to downsize with Mini-sized electric pickup truck

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Company co-founders Jason Marks and Forrest North (left) with designer Yves Béhar (right) of Fuseproject
Telo
Company co-founders Jason Marks and Forrest North (left) with designer Yves Béhar (right) of Fuseproject
Telo
The Telo Truck measures 152 inches in length, the same as a Mini Cooper SE
Telo
The pickup bed is 60 x 60 x 18 inches with the tailgate up, but a mid-partition allows for longer items to cosy up with the back seats inside
Telo
The bed can be capped to allow for extra seating inside or for a camper-style interior layout
Telo
The Telo Truck is reported to be 4 ft shorter than any other pickup currently on the US market, yet offers a truck bed comparable to a Toyota Tacoma
Telo
The Telo Truck features a 500-hp motor and a 106-kWh battery for a top speed of 125 mph and a maximum per-charge range of 350 miles
Telo
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California EV startup Telo has pulled back the curtain on a four-door, five-person electric pickup truck that's the same length as the Mini Cooper SE yet sports a longer truck bed than the Rivian R1T.

"As the demand for electric vehicles continues to grow across the US, we saw a strong need for a vehicle that is suited for both urban environments and active lifestyles," said company CEO and co-founder, Jason Marks. "Now more than ever, urban adventurers want the practicality of a small footprint with the storage capacity and power of a traditional truck. With Telo, explorers can live in the city and venture out on weekends."

The Telo Truck has been designed in collaboration with Yves Béhar and Fuseproject, and measures 152 inches in length – making it a good deal shorter than a Toyota Tacoma but it still manages to match the bed length of one of the three trim levels offered for the 2024 model year, at 60 inches (1.52 m) with the tailgate up.

Folks looking to haul longer cargo don't necessarily need to seek trucks with larger beds, as Telo has cooked in a configurable mid-partition that allows such things as 8x4 ply sheets and 9-ft-long surfboards to peek their heads inside the cabin. There's also a storage compartment in the side that can stow adventure gear or luggage, and a truck cap can be added to enable a third row of seating or a camping layout to be installed.

The Telo Truck measures 152 inches in length, the same as a Mini Cooper SE
Telo

"By focusing on the design and placement of the battery pack within the truck’s chassis, we are able to not only to create a roomier crew cab, but also develop a vehicle that is practical for its users," added Forrest North, Telo CTO and co-founder. "Our patent-pending battery packs are space optimized to provide an impressive 350-mile [550-km] range in between charges in our small footprint, while being highly manufacturable."

All in, the vehicle measures 152 x 73 x 66 inches (3,860 x 1,854 x 1,676 mm) – which should help with inner-city parking and maneuverability – and tips the scales at 4,400 lb (2,000 kg). The battery is rated at 106 kWh and supports fast-charging to 80% capacity in 20 minutes. The 500-hp (373-kW) motor will power the vehicle from standstill to 60-mph (96.5-km/h) in four seconds on its way to a top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h).

The Telo Truck is now up for pre-order for a deposit of US$152. The base price (not including any tax credits) is listed as $49,999. The first batch of production vehicles will reportedly be hand-built, and the company is eyeing a 2025 delivery window for early adopters ahead of scaled manufacture the following year.

Source: Telo

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8 comments
paul314
That's shorter than a lot of midsize and even compact cars. I wish them well.
reader
Awesome, it's a 4-door pick-up that's shorter than a Jeep with better visibility up front and almost twice the power. Third row seats for the kids really seals the deal. Sign me up!
Cora
Not sure why this hasn't been done already - best wishes!
pbethel
But how well will it fare in a head on collision?
Not much crumple zone.
TechGazer
Why the low-profile tires? It's not a race car or a commuter/shopping vehicle. Pickup trucks should have tires suitable for construction sites, backroads, and other such terrain where high profile tires can protect the rims.
Karmudjun
Looks good Paul, but what about the tall folks? Jason Marks appears to be the tallest of the three - is it roomy for him? Head room, leg room, etc? When you are 6'4" and our age, we baby boomers might not want to curl up into such a cabin. I like the 350 best scenario range with quick charging, and it does look like it would be easy to park. I don't know about sustainability of the passengers in an accident with some of the beasts out on the road today. Probably would survive - at least their torsos - in a head on with a Tesla!
jerryd
How about it at half the power and weight? Such a small EV needs to be light for range, cost to build, sell. This done in composites and alum chassis would be a killer sale success at $25k which it could be made profitably. Remember it is as small as a Mini that early ones only weighed 1400lb.
ljaques
How about a 2-dr with half the power and 700 miles of range? That would crush the ICE world...and most of the EV world.