A brand new firm by the identify of Telo has thrown its hat into the electrical car startup ring with the revealing on Tuesday of its first product, a subcompact electrical pickup truck that can retail for about $50,000.

Pickup vehicles have expanded tremendously in dimension through the years, and the brand new crop of electrical vehicles coming onto the market largely goal the full-size phase. California-based Telo, which counts as a co-founder Forrest North, who helped develop the unique Tesla Roadster and co-founded the failed electrical bike startup Mission Motors, sees potential for a small, environment friendly electrical truck for city environments.

The Telo truck measures simply 152 inches lengthy, making it roughly the identical size because the Mini Cooper SE electrical hatch. Regardless of the small dimension, Telo has designed the truck to suit 5 adults in addition to a five-foot mattress. One of the widespread vehicles in the marketplace, the mid-size Toyota Tacoma, incorporates a five-foot mattress as customary.

Due to a midgate, Telo’s truck matches 4-by-8-foot sheets of plywood, a 9-foot surfboard, lengthy ladders, and different lengthy objects behind the entrance seat, with the tailgate up.

Telo truck vs Mini Cooper SE

The secret’s taking full benefit of an EV’s skateboard-style platform. Telo has eradicated the frontal space of a conventional car, enabling the cabin to be moved ahead. In accordance with North, who serves as Telo’s chief expertise officer, having the entrance part, which in lots of EVs incorporates a entrance trunk or powertrain {hardware}, is not essential and does not really enhance security.

“It does not make it easier to drive; it does not assist with security; it does not assist with something actually,” he informed Inexperienced Automotive Experiences in an interview throughout a preview displaying of the Telo truck. “The electrical car [platform] lets you do all these configuration adjustments that nobody’s actually doing but or popularizing.”

There’s nonetheless loads of improvement to be executed however the firm is assured it might probably cross federal crash security assessments, often called FMVSS 208.

Telo truck (rendering)

Regardless of being small, the Telo truck additionally affords loads of efficiency. It has been designed with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain producing a peak 500 hp, or sufficient for 0-60 mph acceleration in 4 seconds, a payload of 1,600 kilos, and a tow score of 6,600 kilos. The highest pace is capped at 125 mph.

The battery, which varieties a part of the car construction, has a most 106-kwh capability, which is estimated to ship an EPA-rated vary of 350 miles. Charging from 20-80% will take about 20 minutes utilizing a DC quick charger, in line with the corporate.

Telo hasn’t stated when its truck will probably be prepared on the market however the firm is already accepting pre-orders, which require a $152 deposit.