A new company by the name of Telo has thrown its hat into the electric vehicle startup ring with the unveiling on Tuesday of its first product, a subcompact electric pickup truck that will retail for about $50,000.
Pickup trucks have expanded greatly in size over the years, and the new crop of electric trucks coming onto the market mostly target the full-size segment. California-based Telo, which counts as a co-founder Forrest North, who helped develop the original Tesla Roadster and co-founded the failed electric motorcycle startup Mission Motors, sees potential for a small, efficient electric truck for urban environments.
The Telo truck measures just 152 inches long, making it roughly the same length as the Mini Cooper SE electric hatch. Despite the small size, Telo has designed the truck to fit five adults as well as a five-foot bed. One of the most popular trucks on the market, the mid-size Toyota Tacoma, features a five-foot bed as standard.
Thanks to a midgate, Telo’s truck fits 4-by-8-foot sheets of plywood, a 9-foot surfboard, long ladders, and other long objects behind the front seat, with the tailgate up.
Telo truck vs Mini Cooper SE
The key is taking full advantage of an EV’s skateboard-style platform. Telo has eliminated the frontal area of a traditional vehicle, enabling the cabin to be moved forward. According to North, who serves as Telo’s chief technology officer, having the front section, which in many EVs features a front trunk or powertrain hardware, isn’t necessary and doesn’t actually improve safety.
“It doesn’t help you drive; it doesn’t help with safety; it doesn’t help with anything really,” he told Green Car Reports in an interview during a preview showing of the Telo truck. “The electric vehicle [platform] allows you to do all these configuration changes that no one’s really doing yet or popularizing.”
There’s still a lot of development to be done but the company is confident it can pass federal crash safety tests, known as FMVSS 208.
Telo truck (rendering)
Despite being small, the Telo truck also offers plenty of performance. It has been designed with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain generating a peak 500 hp, or enough for 0-60 mph acceleration in four seconds, a payload of 1,600 pounds, and a tow rating of 6,600 pounds. The top speed is capped at 125 mph.
The battery, which forms part of the vehicle structure, has a maximum 106-kwh capacity, which is estimated to deliver an EPA-rated range of 350 miles. Charging from 20-80% will take about 20 minutes using a DC fast charger, according to the company.
Telo hasn’t said when its truck will be ready for sale but the company is already accepting pre-orders, which require a $152 deposit.