TELO is a brand new electrical truck startup based mostly in Silicon Valley that goals to supply an electrical truck with the capabilities of right this moment’s full-size pickup vans, however in a right-sized bundle that truly suits in a metropolis.

TELO is a startup cofounded by Jason Marks, who led ADAS/Autonomous drive check applications at Nationwide Devices, and EV business veteran Forrest North, an early Tesla Roadster engineer, cofounder of Mission Motors and former COO of Recargo/Plugshare.

The startup remains to be in its early phases, however has massive plans for its tiny electrical truck, with a spec sheet of some fairly unbelievable specs.

TELO plans to supply a 106kWh battery on its first mannequin, with a twin motor configuration able to 500 horsepower. This provides the truck a 0-60 time of about 4 seconds, with a high pace of 125mph.

The corporate estimates that the truck can have a variety of 350 miles, and is focusing on a 20-minute cost time from 20-80% capability (this works out to a couple of 190kW common cost fee from 20-80%, although it ought to be capable of take a couple of 320kW peak).

All of this is available in an extremely small bundle. It’s solely 152 inches lengthy – the identical size because the electrical Mini Cooper SE. That’s 5 toes shorter than the Toyota Tacoma, the best-selling “compact” pickup truck in America, and 6 and a half toes shorter than the F-150 Lightning. And at 4,400 lb., it weighs lower than a Tesla Mannequin Y.

Someway, although, regardless of the Mini having 4 seats at that size, TELO guarantees to suit 5 seats and a full-size 60″ truck mattress, similar as the bottom mannequin crew cab Tacoma. That’s six inches longer than the 54″ mattress of the Rivian R1T, six inches shorter than the 66″ mattress of the F-150 Lightning, and the identical size because the extreme Hummer EV “supertruck,” although with 49 inches between the wheels, the TELO is just a little narrower than every.

TELO says that as a way to obtain this space-efficiency, it has chosen to optimize for house in any respect factors within the design course of. These design decisions will be summarized as “adequate to be superb, however we don’t should be the most effective,” mentioned TELO. By not going over-the-top with any specific spec, the corporate can save house and cash.

For instance, TELO says its battery – which makes use of commonplace 21700 cells –  can be 50% extra space environment friendly than the remainder of the business as a result of it is ready to save house with lower-amperage connections because it’s not aiming to interrupt any information with 0-60 occasions like another big-battery EVs. And the entrance of the truck mattress is the again of the rear seats, in order that’s one fewer physique panel or seat half that must be designed, tooled, produced, and connected to the automobile.

On that time – the rear seats act as a mid-gate, and will be folded all the way down to create a flat floor lengthy and broad sufficient to hold full 4×8 sheets of plywood or a nine-foot surfboard even with the tailgate up (and probably totally enclosed by a tonneau cowl, although TELO has not but determined if one will come commonplace).

Even with no tonneau cowl, the truck can have enclosed storage within the type of a tunnel storage compartment, which is able to operate equally to Rivian’s “gear tunnel.” This has been a preferred characteristic on the Rivian, as a spot to retailer soiled objects that you just don’t need to throw into an open mattress, or to make use of the tunnel door itself as a seat or as a step to entry gear on a roof rack.

However on the TELO, the tunnel will also be accessed from above by eradicating a part of the truck mattress. This doesn’t simply give extra choices for accessing storage, however opens up an entire new risk for rear passengers.

As if two rows and a full-size mattress weren’t sufficient, TELO plans to supply an non-obligatory camper shell and bolt-in third-row seats, bringing complete seating capability to eight complete passengers, says the corporate. On this configuration, the tunnel will get used because the footwell for the rear passengers.

Alternately, the camper shell can be utilized with out third-row seats for enclosed storage, and TELO needs to attach it to automobile HVAC, which may very well be helpful for companies or for house owners who typically carry pets round within the again.

The truck can be able to V2L, with shops within the mattress, although TELO hasn’t determined how a lot draw it will likely be able to but.

TELO is being constructed with security in thoughts from the get-go. Regardless of the brief front-end with just one inch of overhang over the entrance wheels (on a 111.5-inch complete wheelbase), the seating place will not be completely cab-over and occupants are nonetheless hidden behind a crumple zone. However in step with Marks’s earlier experience engaged on ADAS testing methods, TELO claims it has a number of modern digital aids for each driver and passenger security deliberate, although it couldn’t elaborate on what particular applied sciences it had in thoughts.

However extra importantly, a small electrical truck is inherently safer for roads, pedestrians, and for the atmosphere. In recent times we have now seen a pattern towards large land yachts taking on the highway (but with much less utility and smaller beds), with SUV and truck gross sales skyrocketing. And it’s been no coincidence that pedestrian deaths have risen quickly in sync with gross sales of bigger automobiles that always go away pedestrian security as an excessive afterthought.

Not solely do these large vans and SUVs hurt pedestrians, in addition they trigger extra highway harm, run by extra tires (inflicting extra particulate air pollution from tire particles), contribute to sprawl, and use extra sources each to fabricate and to function. It’s all dangerous, it’s all harmful, and we have to do one thing about it.

TELO presents an answer right here. It’s a automobile that has the aptitude of a full-size truck, however makes use of far fewer sources and is much less of a hazard to everybody round it. And for a worldwide inhabitants that’s each rising and urbanizing, small city EVs are going to be necessary each for metropolis dwellers who want or select to have a automobile, and for companies that want cargo house however would profit from a smaller automobile.

And the corporate thinks that the market is prepared for a truck like this. There was some pushback brewing towards rising automobile sizes recently, and even “compact” vans just like the aforementioned Tacoma are a number of toes longer than this automobile. Crossover SUVs are widespread as a result of individuals need automobiles which have extra space and utility, however aren’t as massive as a truck or full-size SUV.

So what if they might have much more utility in a good smaller bundle? It may very well be a success, particularly on condition that there isn’t the rest prefer it on the American market (and small supply vans are already widespread in each Europe and Asia, so there’s your proof-of-concept).

So now, all the way down to the underside line: How a lot does it price, and when can we get it?

TELO is at the moment focusing on a value of $50K earlier than incentives, and it ought to qualify for Inflation Discount Act tax credit too. Sooner or later, TELO needs to supply a model with a smaller battery and single motor, presumably with a lower cost. This might be good for individuals who know they don’t want an enormous 350-mile battery, or for companies with set routes or largely intracity journey. However, like most startups, the main target can be to start out upmarket and ship one extremely geared up model to start out off, then increase with different choices later.

As for deliberate supply, there are a number of steps to go earlier than then. TELO needs to have a operating prototype by the tip of summer season, a press automobile by the tip of the yr, to do homologation (crash/aero evaluation) over the course of the following yr and conclude all of these preproduction steps in 2024. Then, it hopes to have the primary 500 hand-built automobiles by the tip of 2025, and 10,000 contract-manufactured automobiles in 2026.

These are all extremely tight timelines, and principally describe excellent execution – so, as is commonly the case with EV startups, there could also be some “flexibility” on the above dates.

In the event you’re occupied with getting a TELO, the corporate is taking pre-orders right this moment at its web site, telotrucks.com. Pre-orders are $152 – identical to the 152-inch size of the truck. You may also be a part of TELO’s Discord server the place it is going to solicit suggestions on growth.

Electrek’s Take

I’ve made my ideas clear about ballooning SUV and truck sizes a number of occasions earlier than on this web site. In brief, I’m towards it. We’d like smaller automobiles, and we have to stay in denser, greener areas. These are necessary steps within the combat towards local weather change, which is crucial downside humanity has ever encountered.

In relation to large SUVs, I’m taking a look at you, nearly each automaker, as a result of all of you appear to be releasing large three-row electrical SUVs this yr, which threatens potential emissions reductions from going EV. However I’m additionally taking a look at authorities, as a result of a part of the explanation for that is because of guidelines that encourage SUVs, an issue that the EPA lastly acknowledged and is taking some motion to repair in its new laws.

As for the TELO, though we haven’t gotten to trip in it but, I feel it’s fairly clear that I like every thing that’s been promised right here.

However, after I mentioned the specs had been “unbelievable” above, I meant it. Studying by the press launch, I actually thought the corporate was pushing the bounds of actuality.

After talking with the founders, all of it does appear extra reasonable. I can see how they’ll pack rather a lot right into a tiny bundle, and the way they’re getting loads of the numbers they’ve quoted.

I’m nonetheless skeptical of a few them – promising such an enormous bounce in volumetric vitality density, for instance – however I see how most of that is potential.

And I’m additionally a bit skeptical of the necessity for therefore many options, when trimmed-down variations of the truck may very well be extra fit-to-purpose. A supply truck doesn’t want a second row of seats or 0-60 in 4 seconds, a household hauler doesn’t have to go 125 mph, and so forth. However that is simply the beginning, and TELO mentioned they’d provide trimmed-down variations sooner or later, so we’ll hope to see these.

I wouldn’t be stunned to see manufacturing timing slip, to see some options minimize or made non-obligatory, or to see another modifications to cost or battery measurement. However even with just a few reductions right here and there, this nonetheless is an astounding bundle and fills a market that must be crammed and that no person else is filling. And it might’t get right here fast sufficient, in my view, so we hope they make it to manufacturing (making automobiles is difficult) and may begin to bend the needle within the US towards right-sized automobiles with a lot of functionality in much less house.

As all the time, we’re glad to listen to your suggestions within the feedback. What do you consider the TELO? Are their plans reasonable, is there a marketplace for this type of truck within the US? Tell us beneath.