What would a mini electric vehicle combined with a pickup truck look like?
Mini electric pickup truck. (Illustrative image).
The electric vehicle startup TELO has stirred the electric vehicle market in the U.S. with the launch of its mini electric pickup truck. The vehicle has immediately attracted significant consumer interest, as the pickup truck segment has traditionally been a popular category dominated by Ford.
TELO is a startup co-founded by Jason Marks and Forrest North, a former Tesla engineer. While the company is still in its early stages, it has ambitious plans for its small but “game-changing” electric vehicle with impressive specifications.
The mini truck will have a range of 563 km on a single charge. (Illustrative image).
The vehicle boasts a power output of 500 horsepower and is equipped with a 106 kWh battery, capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4 seconds, with a top speed of 200 km/h. The company states that the mini pickup truck will have a range of 563 km on a single charge and aims for a fast charging capability of 20% to 80% in just 20 minutes.
However, these powerful specifications are packed into a compact vehicle measuring only 3,860 mm in length. For comparison, this length is equivalent to the wheelbase of the Mini Cooper SE electric, which is 1,532 mm shorter than the mid-size Toyota Tacoma, and 2,050 mm shorter than the Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck. Weighing in at 1,995 kg, the TELO is also 8 kg lighter than a Tesla Model Y.
The TELO electric pickup truck features seating for 5 and offers an option for a camping tent and a third row of seats, increasing total capacity to 8.
TELO shares that for a growing and urbanizing global population, small urban electric vehicles will be vital for city dwellers who need or choose to have a vehicle, as well as for businesses that require cargo space but would benefit from a smaller vehicle.
This vehicle is expected to cost around $50,000 and qualify for tax incentives in the U.S. (Illustrative image).
In the future, TELO aims to offer a version with a smaller battery at a lower price point. This will cater to customers who do not require a range of up to 500 km.
The prototype is expected to appear by the end of this summer, completing preparations for production in 2024. TELO anticipates having the first 500 vehicles ready by the end of 2025, with 10,000 units to be produced by 2026. They have also opened a refundable reservation with a deposit of $152.
Initially, TELO plans to launch only in the U.S., where pickup trucks are an extremely popular vehicle choice. However, Yves Behar, the designer who created the vehicle, shared: “Pickup trucks are the best-selling vehicle type in America, and they might sell even better in Europe if designed differently. If you’re in a city like London or Lisbon, or anywhere in Europe within an old city, large vehicles are truly a tremendous burden. Therefore, the ability to do so much in a small vehicle size means we see a lot of opportunities to launch the product in Europe.”
