10-03-2025
Can Minimalist Telo Survive in Increasingly Maximalist Truck Market?
Telo completed first drivable prototype of its planned MT1 pickup, having already launched a configurator and having started accepting deposits.
The truck promises over 350 miles of range and up to 500 hp in dual-motor form, while occupying about the same footprint as a Mini Cooper.
The small truck is planned to feature a starting price of just over $40,000.
At first glance Telo and Tesla have a lot in common when it comes to their pickup trucks. In the case of both the MT1 and the Cybertruck, they're both four-door electric pickups with avantgarde exterior designs, squared-off front fascias, and minimalist exterior surfaces.
That's about where the comparisons end, as Telo's MT1 is about the size of a four-door Mini Cooper. It's also far lighter than the Cybertruck, as you've guessed by now, and won't require north of $80,000 to obtain.
In fact, it's designed to be priced at about half that amount.
And at the moment, it's still inching its way into production. The first pre-production model was revealed days ago in a big step for the small company.
Telo teamed up with Aria Group in building the first drivable pre-production example of its cab-forward trucklet, aiming to begin road tests followed by getting through homologation next winter.
"As the electric vehicle landscape continues to evolve, Telo Trucks is defining a new category of pickup trucks that meets a significant market need for sustainability, size, and functionality across both consumer and fleet audiences," the company said.
Despite its looks, the MT1 will offer fairly large batteries, including a 77-kWh unit and even a 106-kWh option. With wheels pushed to the far corners of its Cooper-sized footprint, there isn't going to be any wasted space anywhere.
And in dual-motor form, it will have quite a bit of power as well, though it's difficult to picture actually needing all 500 hp in something this small.
So far, Telo says it has some 5,000 pre-orders for its debut model, and a year ago it completed a $5.4-million funding round.
These certainly aren't major automaker numbers by any stretch, but they do point to a certain interest from an audience that could be fed up with today's locomotive-sized trucks, including electric ones.
Just how much money is needed to begin production is another matter—and has not been spelled out in detail.
At the moment, Telo does not have a direct competitor as Mini parent company BMW isn't too eager to get into the subcompact truck business. But VW has certainly had some ideas about trucks based on the ID. Buzz.
It also is worth noting that the MT1's size likely addresses a market that's currently only served by imported, 25-year-old kei trucks from Japan, which have become a disturbingly widespread phenomenon in a short timespan.
"We designed the future of utility transportation by maximizing every inch to provide comfort without compromising performance or capability," said Telo co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Yves Béhar. "Telo brings more features, space, and practicality than any other vehicle on the road today."
Still, quite a bit has to happen before Telo trucks can sit in traffic next to imported kei trucks, and this includes setting up a sales and service operation in the US.
Will minimalist Telo hang on in an increasingly maximalist truck market?
It is worth noting that a great number of EV startups have been at this stage before: between a working prototype and something resembling mass production. On one hand Telo has made it this far, but on the other hand few have actually moved past this point.
Is there a market for a small electric pickup with a starting price of about $40,000, or are EV truck buyers mostly after much larger vehicles? Please comment below.
