This ultra-compact electric pickup makes you want to replace SUVs

Does a pick-up necessarily have to display XXL dimensions? For Telo, the answer is no, and it must be recognized that his project is not lacking in interest! On the program: a compact electric pick-up, the size of a Mini Cooper.

Marginal with us, the pick-up is a veritable institution with UNITED STATES. While the vast majority of models on the market today run on gasoline, projects to electric pick-ups have been increasing for several years. Probably the best-known example is Tesla’s Cybertruck, which is due to start full-scale production in 2024. There’s also the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Hummer EV, two much-talked-about models. at their launch. General Motors and Ram have plans to join the battle, one with the Chevrolet Silverado EV and Sierra EV, the other with the 1500 REV.

Telo Trucks MT1, the pocket pick-up

Alongside the big names in the automobile industry, lesser-known companies are also rushing into the breach, with varying degrees of success. Telo belongs to this category and is trying to make a name for itself with a quite original concept : an electric pick-up with the dimensions of a city car. Its MT1 – that’s what it’s called – has the same length as a Mini. It accurately measures 3.86 meters longa figure to be compared to the 5.91 meters of an F-150 Lightning, for example.

Despite its small size, the Telo MT1 manages to board 5 people on board. Its bed is as long as that of a large Toyota pick-up and exceeds that of a Rivian R1T. A performance partly due to a shutter in the dividing wall which, once opened, allows you to squeeze a few centimeters into the cabin. The forward position of the cabin also contributes to optimizing the space on board and the practical aspects. It is also possible to install a hard top (roof) over the dumpster, to drastically increase the loading capacity.

muscle and stamina

With a capacity of 106 kWh, the Telo MT1’s battery is almost as big as that of a Mercedes EQS. It would guarantee a theoretical autonomy of 550 km (US EPA homologation cycle, around 600 km in Europe) and could charge from 20 to 80% in about 20 minutes.

The MT1 has a pretty weight of two tons, but can count on a powerful electric motor of 500 hp. It works with a motor at the front and another motor at the rear, a configuration which makes it possible to have 4-wheel drive. In terms of performance, Telo announces a 0 to 100 km/h in 4 seconds and a maximum speed of 200 km/h.

The absence of images of the passenger compartment tends to prove that the development is not completely finished. However, Telo is already accepting reservations and has set the price of its MT1 at $49,999 excluding bonuses and taxes. At that price point, this pocket pickup looks particularly competitive against a Ford F-150 that starts at around $60,000, but there are arguably still a lot of challenges to overcome before a potential entry into production. So be careful, because in the automotive sector, there is no shortage of examples of interesting project failures…

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