The TELO Electric Pickup Is A Tiny Truck With Big Features
If you want to buy an electric pickup truck, your options are still fairly limited, but they are available. However, if you want to buy a little truck, not your standard full-size pickup, you’re almost out of luck unless you opt for a NEV with a small bed on the back, and the specs on those tiny EVs are nowhere near what is needed for a functional pickup truck, especially if you want to go faster than 25 mph. And it’s a shame, because once upon a time, there were plenty of options for small pickups (gas-powered, obviously), and those mini trucks took up no more space than a sedan, whereas today’s trucks seem to only come in two sizes — big and bigger — even though they are overkill for many people’s hauling needs.
However, if the TELO electric truck can go from its current prototype status to a production-ready vehicle, the electric pickup segment could get a small but capable entry, and maybe even be able to live up to its claimed status as “the world’s most efficient EV pickup.” According to TELO Trucks, more than 2,500 pre-orders have been placed for the pickup (with a small refundable deposit), although no mention has been made yet of when or where those first trucks will actually be built, so it’s entirely possible that production of a road-ready model will be a long time coming. However, a recent infusion of cash from the closing of a $5.4M strategic funding round is a hopeful sign, as is the appointment of Marc Tarpenning, a co-founder of Tesla, to the company’s board.
TELO Trucks makes some big claims about the mini truck, including the aforementioned “most efficient” label, but even just the basic footprint of the vehicle alone puts it into a class of its own, as its 152-inch length is the same as a MINI Cooper SE, and yet its 60″ bed is the same length as the bed in a Toyota Tacoma. The 4-door truck will seat 5, and a “configurable mid-partition” behind the rear seats can allow the bed to carry 8-foot long items, or “additional seating for up to 8 passengers.” It is also designed with a storage tunnel under the bed for gear, which can also double as a footwell for a third row of seats. Not too shabby, eh?
As far as its specs go, TELO states that it will be propelled by a dual motor AWD system capable of putting out up to 500 hp, and will have a 350-mile range from its 106kWh battery pack, which is claimed to have a 20-minute fast charge time from 20-80%. Top speed will be 125 mph, with a 0-60 mph time of 4 seconds, and its empty weight is stated as 4,400 pounds. TELO says the base pricing on these mini trucks will be $49,999, although since it’s still early days, the specs and the pricing could change quite a bit once production begins.
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