Attention mini-truck & EV minivan fans: Telo MT1

With the camper top on it could fulfill a lot of electric minivan needs as well.

I'd put this in my "if I could afford new cars" fantasy garage right next to a Caterham Project V. Maybe I'd use it to tow the Project V to the track so I start with a full charge  (in this fantasy tracks commonly have quick chargers and don't ban EVs )

We must have the same Youtube algo. I watched this earlier today. I like it. I've been hoping for more utilitarian small vehicles. 

CyberEric said:

We must have the same Youtube algo. I watched this earlier today. I like it. I've been hoping for more utilitarian small vehicles. 

Ditto. Give me a high rise camper shell though.

There's a lot to like. If they made me CEO, I'd not worry about the plywood and make it narrower. Makes me think of a vehicle I liked a lot ( Element), and one that's a bit of a joke (Pacer)

It's interesting, but there have been a lot of EV dreams that went nowhere. Credit where it's due, they made it to the point of having a running prototype instead of a rendering. But they still have a long way to go towards production.

In my opinion they kind of gloss over the bed length, since the tailgate has to be down to meet the dimensions they claim.  If you're hauling lumber or plywood it will require carefully done strap downs to keep them from falling out, and if you're hauling dirt that just doesn't work.  Secondly, having to fold that panel on the back of the cad down leave the interior exposed to the elements, that's not a good option for people living in colder climates or if it rains.  Third, I'm in the minority but I'd prefer a single cab layout with no back seat, and make that a part of a permanently liner bed.  

After saying all those things I still like it.  Regular pickups in the US today are all huge - they sit way up in the air and just take up too much physical space, but regardless of what people may really want or need they buy them because that's all that is available (yes, I know about the Maverick but that still bigger and taller than what's really necessary.)

In reply to stuart in mn :

The one thing I noticed during the video is the guy leaning on the top of the bed. I'd love a lower truck.

I haul plywood frequently (several times every week) in my 5 1/2' bed. I rarely tie it down, and have never lost a sheet. 
 

I like it. Has it passed crash testing?

I give it about a 30% chance of reaching production, a 30% chance of all the principles going to jail for fraud, a 30% chance of them selling the IP to a big company who probably does nothing with it and I'll save 10% for "other."

One thing that was refreshing was not hearing the dude constantly solicit deposits (cough-elio-cough) for the truck that doesn't exist yet. 

as an actual truck, though, I dig it. It's honestly the form factor that most trucks should be and not some swole brodozer. 

Love the concept. Not sure about the pricing. It's over $50k for 4wd and ~350 miles of range. I guess if this qualifies for the full EV tax credit, and that's still around in a couple of years when this truck is expected to hit the market that's not too unreasonable at $43k.

But you can get a bare bones Maverick hybrid with AWD and the 4k tow package for starting MSRP of ~31k right now. Even if the Telo only costs $43k, that price difference buys ~4700 gal of 87 octane at current prices near me. If the Mav gets 32mpg on average, that's enough fuel to drive 150,400 miles.

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

My Canoo shares are worth about 13 Cents each after multiple reverse splits. I think they produced about a dozen demonstration vehicles before they went bankrupt. Two closed facilities here in Oklahoma with employees furloughed just before Christmas. At one point I think they were serious, but getting to full production with a new concept vehicle is a long climb.

I like it. Not sure if this one makes it to market, but its a pretty good example of how a full ev powertrain can open up packaging and space efficiency options. Things like lower, flatter load floors, 4 wheel steering, etc.

I dont see trucks like this ever being anything more than a niche vehicle for the consumer space in the US, but if it can offer lower total costs plus some improvement in ease of use, there could a solid market for commercial use.

I agree that the likelihood of it seeing production is small. I lived in SF most of my adult life and saw a million of these guys with ideas like this swinging in from the rafters, many get funded for a while, and about 0.1% "succeed." The whole thing grosses me out.

That said, I really like that they are listening and trying to create something that I sense a number of people actually want.

I've been wanting someone to build a simple, fuel efficient vehicle that is super useful for SO long.