TELO compact EV pick-up running hot on preorders

Tesla’s original co-founder, Marc Tarpenning, hasn’t been idle since leaving the company in 2008. He has been busy developing the TELO MT1, a compact pick-up the company is pitching as the ‘anti Cybertruck.’

He describes it as having Tacoma capability, Tesla-like range and efficiency, all in the footprint of a Mini Cooper. TELO, by the way, comes from the Greek word ‘telos’ meaning purpose or goal.

This is almost the exact opposite of the Tesla pick-up, being a tiny urban runaround that optimises its limited space. And with over 12,000 pre-orders to date, it is clearly hitting the mark with many.

Tiny outside but big within

At under 4m in length (3860mm) the TELO MT1 is evidently easy to manoeuver and park in busy urban environments. Yet inside it can handily seat five adults, eight even with optional third row seats. 

The MT1 features a ‘midgate’ folding system that extends the rear bed forwards into the cabin. So its wellside grows from 1520mm to 2438mm, meaning more cargo space than in most medium pick-ups. There’s even a facility under the bed that allows installation of third row seats (eight occupants). 

It’s a proper workhorse too, with a maximum payload of 907kg, and braked towing capacity of three tonnes. Plus there’s a tonneau cover to keep gear secure.

RWD and AWD models

The TELO MT1 comes in two models, one with a single-motor rear-wheel drive set-up and 224kW. Meanwhile the other has a dual-motor AWD variant with 373kW. Respective sprint times to 100km/h are five and four seconds. The rear-drive model can even be induced to drift, if that’s your thing.

Expect plenty of range too, as a 106kWh battery pack offers a claimed range of up to 560km. A 20-80 per cent fast charge takes a stated 20min. There’s apparently a smaller battery pack as well, offering up to 416km of range.

The bigger battery makes the pick-up suitable for both commuting and weekend trips. And on that, for an extra $US2k you can buy a camper shell that turns it into something resembling an SUV. 

The base model price is $US41,520 while the more potent AWD variant goes for $46,019.

First deliveries are expected about a year from now, during which time the TELO MT1 can prove itself in testing and undergo final tweaking.