HN Reader

I spoke to them a lot at OpenSauce.

- The body panels were composite but they want to go to stamped metal for production. - It's based off of the subaru ascent; at least most of the frame and suspension is. - NMC chemistry, didn't get an OEM name for the actual cell/pouch though. - Mostly off the shelf Bosch power-train components. Will be interesting to see a tear-down once they're for sale. - No commitment on how "open" the vehicle will be to modifications. They have designed in attachment points for upgrades but it didn't seem to be anywhere as extensive as what Slate is doing. This makes some sense; they have a more "finished" vision where Slate is intentionally taking the "our vision is for you to buy the canvas from us and then make it your own" approach.

On that last point, I don't think Slate has released anything substantial either w/r/t the CAN bus either. As far as I know, their plan is still a BYOD approach for the head-unit so here's hoping that it'll be relatively straight forward to interrogate the busses from an android or linux device. The Telo had a head-unit integrated so who knows how much control you'll have over the vehicle.

I love the fantastic designs and form factors popping up in mini-EV truck/SUV space. My worry is for the business feasibility for these. Why isn’t Tesla making these? They have the supply chain and expertise to easily pull it off and they’d be such a big hit. People switching to them for light cargo would be a REAL contribution in cutting use of carbon.

I can think of one possibility. At Tesla’s scale, production becomes feasible only if they can produce X million units. This is because setting up production tooling, supply chain channels, and other associated costs is prohibitively expensive. Additionally, the demand for these vehicles will be relatively low until influential YouTubers in the construction, farming, and rural sectors become advocates and start promoting them.

In my opinion, electric vehicles (EVs) are perfectly suited for this task. They are ideal for transporting heavy items between nearby destinations, such as moving Home Depot supplies to a construction site or Costco products to a restaurant or store. A range of even 200 miles is practical for this use-case and keeps the cost low (MT1 is a beast by my standard).

For clarification, I am all for more competition. But I am also selfish and I really want this segment to become wildly successful . In any case, I really and truly hope they can make the business case work and be profitable/sustainable.

I immediately searched the site for interior pictures and had my pessimism confirmed ... it's a design-free interior with no physical controls.

At least they kept the stalks on the steering column ...

Still as ugly as last time it appeared on HN, it has none of the charm of a Kei truck. I wish any company would just take the old Ford Ranger designs (2011 and earlier) and make a truck on that. Or better yet, Ford themselves could redo the electric version of the Ranger (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Ranger_EV) from 25 years ago with modern tech but the same look.

> 152 in Length 73 in Width 66 in Height

This is 3860 x 1854 x 1676mm, or 14% x 25% x -16% bigger than Japanese Kei car specifications(3400 x 1480 x 2000mm max.) Closest match in features among Kei cars would be Daihatsu Hijet Deck Van, except that one is 465mm / 18" shorter that this having an awkwardly short 880mm / 35" long bed.

41k ?!

The entire point of the Slate truck is to try to come in under 20K or around it, and without the EV subsidies that's probably not going to happen.

This is a breath of fresh air. Modern pick up trucks post-2017 are giant vehicles with high danger to pedestrians. They are often touted as off road capable with high utility, and I see them in pristine condition on city streets hauling a totality of one human.

Good overviews of the truck https://youtu.be/aEq-vTLimrQ?si=fS-UhjndoWuxwBip

https://youtu.be/1OgN_qctcGs?si=nEysWQHzafRpxfRp

One thing I'm really happy about with the rise of EVs is that they seem to be unlocking a fresh wave of innovation. This is in part because at a fundamental level, they are much simpler and easier to manufacture and more flexible in terms of design, so they are far more accessible for the startup ecosystem to break into. I'm really looking forward to what else we see emerging in the next few years once all the basic EV technology is commoditised.

I am glad to see EV companies doing something different, aesthetically. In this particular case I do not like it -- at all -- but I much prefer a high-variance aesthetic distribution to the genetic every-car-looks-the-same world we have now, sans a tiny few exceptions.

The side compartment under the bed / in front of the rear wheel is pretty cool too.

This made me think about the bagnole, which seems to target the same kind of market: https://kilow.com/en/pages/la-bagnole

This is a bad marketing idea to compare a golf cart like this to a Toyota Tacoma. There is practically zero ground clearance and a unibody frame, this will high center in places where I regularly drive my Tacoma. Tacoma wins on ruggedness, lower total cost of ownership thanks to a significantly lower price and having limited depreciation.

Unless these are priced at under $30,000 for the AWD, these will flop commercially.

If the CAFE standards could be fixed, we could get ICE and hybrid trucks that are smaller and more affordable, the EV route is too expensive and the products are strange.

This is cool I guess but I don’t get why some of these electric car companies have to design cars that look like toys. Rivian and this. It looks like a golf cart with a flatbed. I think an electric kei truck would have a huge market in the US but the design needs some work to be taken seriously.

There’s something to be said for being distinctive, but you can do that while not looking silly (Lucid is a good example). And simply being a small electric truck is enough differentiation anyway

It's aesthetically not pleasing in my eyes. They even have a comparison with ford trucks on their page and all i'm thinking is yeah i'd take that ford instantly over that thing.

The real question is whether it's compatible with standard truck nuts: if not, the Florida market will remain inaccessible.

One thing I have learned. If you own a pick up like vehicle You will be helping even people you barely know to move. and your extended friends and family whenever they buy something too big to fit in their car

Doug DeMuro did a review a couple months ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYe-QNRkdz8

I really like the idea of taking advantage of there not being an engine bay in the front, and moving the driver position forward, and eliminating the unused length of the engine bay - but this looks very unsafe for the driver in a crash, with no crumple zone to speak of - not to mention it turns a simple fender bender into a front axle replacement (though with modern cars and their sensors, there's no such thing as a cheap crash anyway)

(Not sure if this is just me, but) I find this truck so aesthetically displeasing?

Somehow, most EVs have curves and "bounciness" (and why such odd headlights??) in all the right places to make it look childish. I find the Tesla sedan extremely aesthetic though, that might be the one exception. The bigger Teslas (especially in color white) remind me of pandas for some reason.

Looks good and a step in the right direction (speaking as someone who thinks the modern day trucks are getting too big for the danger of those driving alongside them on the roads).

I wonder though if the interior trim can be ordered without this felt-like material. I can easily see that being stained or dirty in a short period of time. I am sure there is.

This is a truck that appeals to car buyers because it's not sacrificing a compact body or efficiency, while providing immense utility and off-roading.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEcI967gXUg

People tend to focus on demand, but just getting vehicles like this into production at a profitable cost often turns out to be impossible.

It is a 10-15k/year product at best. How does an independent maker get that profitable at <$50k, despite all the costs of setting up a sales and service network?

Man, this car is ugly. I'm getting strong Fiat Multipla vibes:

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/remembering-fiat-multipla-quite...

There's a video walkthrough of all its "quirks and features", of which there are plenty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYe-QNRkdz8

Interesting to see how much the perception of trucks varies globally. For many, it’s about versatility and utility beyond just daily commuting. The off-road and hauling capabilities often get overlooked in city-centric debates.

This isn’t a mini truck, it’s a truck. It’s just that the others are giant trucks.

Man, I'd love something like this. I was happy with my small, early 2000s pickup, but everything in the used market when it died were obnoxious show-off vehicles that quite literally don't even fit in most of the parking spaces in my city. This has that cute kei truck look... well... Maybe an inbred kei truck. But it seems just the right size for utility (and my much-missed tailgate naps).

But $42k is just so much money to me. I've never spent more than ~$15k (financed) on a vehicle and I feel like I'm fairly well off...

I thought electric cars are simpler and should be cheaper. You can tariff out competition only for so long...

Is there some reason they have to make these have 300 or 500hp? Or is there nothing to be gained in terms of cost and weight from having, say, 90hp (like my completely functional Mighty Max had).

Telo are too small to succeed and too interesting to fail. I expect them to be bought after they fully launch the vehicle and it shows promise.

This can fun a fun and practical vehicle, and it has a lot nifty solutions, and should serve sub(urban) life well.

but if you really need a pickup truck, this cannot compare to a Tacoma

That said I dont think anyone buying a Tacoma will be tempted by this vehicle, and I dont think the buyers of the MT1 will be comparison checking the Tacoma either.

Separate markets the way I see it, as do they

""EV pickup for urban living and weekend adventuring""

So why the comparison?

For $41k, I can buy 20 chang li explorer trucks off alibaba and have $1000 leftover.

I just fail to see how anyone sane would try and enter this market right now.

> We're tired of oversized, impractical trucks designed for show over substance.

I wonder if Telo is attempting to define a new category. Substance in a truck, in my lived opinion, is about utility. Towing capacity, ruggedness, ability to go (very) off road. An electric power train shows promise, but is limited by infra.

If that’s not the target, then maybe it’s a different target, such as San Francisco residents where space is limited and a slight nod to utility is adequate.

Further down the peninsula, and specifically in the Santa Cruz mountains, this is less interesting. I can’t imagine this for outdoor (e.g. mountain biking) or project oriented (e.g. landscaping) people.

So back to the top: if they’re marketing substance over show, maybe they’re really marketing to people who desire show over substance.

Edit: let me also throw in my drive down to the bottom tip of Baja a few months ago. The roads were rough in places, and I definitely went off road to reach some interesting places. It reminded me of some rough terrain and roads in Wyoming and Oklahoma - truck states. Without big wheels and tough suspension - I wouldn’t take a Telo.

Apparently nobody speaks spanish in the team. Telo MT1 can be read as "te lo mete uno" which translates to sombedy puts it into you.

The information you're looking for is $41,520

I really like the solar roof and bed cover add-ons. They don't have specs but should be roughly 4 square meters combined or so? so about 800w at peak power. Not enough to let you rely on it even if you live in a sunny place, but it could add up to a nice reduction in cost per mile if you use it to commute and park it in the sun.

This rules. I hope it succeeds. More smaller vehicles designed for urban spaces please!

I’d love to drive something like this. Looking forward to these hitting the market!

I sure wish more of these electric trucks came with paint-free body panels. Say what you will about the Cybertruck, but the idea of a truck that doesn't have paint is very attractive to me. Seems like this one is moving away from plastic to steel, and I haven't seen what the Slate so I imagine it's probably painted steel as well. Plastic, stainless, whatever...I just don't want a paint job to worry about.

This is incredibly sensible design (if they pull it off), it's a reasonable size (unlike a lot of 'Murcian utility vehicles), has some good options (like the dual solar roof) and a useful carry layout.

How many kWh? Charging specs? Solar panel specs?

Honestly feels so far from an actual product I wouldn't expect to see it for another 3 years, in which time there will certainly be better options for $50,000.

Is an open front wheel like this street legal? Seems to be it would be a safety issue for pedestrians. Legally weels also are not allowed to stick out past the fender when straight.

I recommend watching the CTO's story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB-XlCf87hQ

As much as I like the novelty of the design, there isn't much of a crumple zone for a head on collision. I could see the wheel placement making this a fun off-road vehicle, though.

Next level ugly. One of the worst designs I've ever seen.

Why do these 'new' trucks feel they need to reinvent the wheel? I don't want something I need to 'reconfigure' to either carry people or a 4x8. I don't need seating for 4. I need a small utility truck. Like... a Toyota. A late 70's, early 80's Toyota. No electric windows. No fancy interior. Seating for 2 (my and my dog). No information screen...

Also read:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42638394

This seems dangerous. Where's the crumple zone?

I saw this on JerryRigEverything and was thinking that this is the perfect city pickup. Compact, yet with a reasonable payload size. It has a good range (which, in my case, is not as important) and the horsepower is good. The dash takes a bit of getting used to, but OK.

It's the second electric vehicle I actually like (Rivian being the first - but it's a full-size).

>Our standard five-seat crew cab features a 5-foot bed capacity with a configurable mid-partition that either increases the bed size to accommodate 4-by-8-foot plywood sheets with the tailgate up or to allow for additional seating for up to eight passengers.

Eight passengers while driving? Where? I don't see any pictures of that.

Exciting to see new development, especially in this terminal economy.

What sort of ANCAP rating do they get with such a short front hood?

The reason why we don't generally have vehicles this small any more is because they don't pass crash tests so I'm wondering how this fares in a crash test. I can't see any way this could be sold in Europe unless there's some very clever engineering to make the front end more resilient in a crash.

A fabric interior? That's one I didn't see coming. Seems like it'd be harder to clean.

Why'd they make it look like that? It looks like one of those dog breeds that can't breathe normally.

If it had full physical controls in the interior, this would be my dream vehicle. I'd reserve one today.

The second I saw that touchscreen garbage dashboard I closed the window. I'll never buy a vehicle with that nonsense.

In Australia, BYD Shark 6 is currently conquering the market for the EV utes.

$42k. If you're making a tiny truck, it should have a tiny price.

When your legs are an integral part of the crumple zone.

why are there no pictures of the backseat? tired of cars with four doors and backseats made exclusively for children. and they say it can fit 8 people???

It looks horrible. Why do all these new electric cars look like they've been through a 'you don't want to buy this' session?

I like the mini idea. I want a small car thing and this might be just the type of thing that is practical for me

Sorry am I being an idiot or is there no rough price for this?

EDIT> Price is $50k 350m range . Nearly London -> Edinburgh

Love the footprint, hate the cloth interior. I want to be able to spay it out after my mountain biking trips.

Really hope enough people buy these new so that in a few years time I can get a second hand one. ;-)

Let's hope now that CAFE is dead or at least disarmed, more cars like this will come from the woodwork. I was always jealous that the japanese had so many cool small kei cars like the Subaru Sambar or Suzuki Cappuccino

This will be a giant success.

Neat, but I imagined what an accident with a semi head on would do to me...

I can't customize that ugly front into a cooler design unfortunately.

Wow, that is one ugly vehicle. It looks like it's been in an accident.

I'm not sure this thing would fare well in a crash test.

Did anyone reserve? If yes what’s your preorder position number?

Telo vs Slate.... Fight!

Looks like a Kei truck

Bottom of the page:

> Copyright © 2024 TELO Trucks. All rights reserved.

What’s the range when loaded with things or people? That’s what matters. I find that most EVs have too many impracticalities to be convenient. For a fixed commute, sure. But for versatility, absolutely not.

It looks like a pug. I’m not saying that is bad :-)

Nice, how much do I need to cut to get 33s on it?

Is this cheaper to run than the gas equivalent?

way too expensive for its size and capability

This is what Tesla should have built instead of the Cybertruck.

With their distribution and service centers, this would sell like hot cakes.

Why is the design so… awkward?

This is literally an ad.

Super ugly and super pricey.

What a great form factor.

how are you supposed to put some big tires on this thing

for this size i would want it to be less than 20k !

I like that it's small and potentially even more functional than whatever idiotic American small-dick-compensating nonsense people buy these days but why does it need to be so ugly?

If you want more people to buy sensible vehicles, make them look nice i.e. not like something NASA would send to Mars.

Telo MT1 - "your knees are the crumble zone"

Sorry. But to me it looks like a truck i can order on alieexpress. Does not show any robustness, strength and is not sexy at all. Nice for your local laundry delivery service at your beach resort. But thats it.

When EU?

Too small, this won't sell.

why it is so ugly?

Can't wait to see what mental gymnastics are done to make this illegal or heavily taxed in some US States.

This is what Ford e-transit could’ve been. Another missed opportunity by Ford.

Another Canoo bankrupt future and lose my 150 bucks?

Just make a gas-powered one that's repairable. This is not complicated. I love my Tesla, but my other vehicle is a Hardbody for a reason. EVs SUCK as trucks.

My wife caught a glimpse of this over my shoulder, "What an ugly truck." she said immediately. Pretty much sums it up.

> With Toyota Tacoma capability, Tesla-like range and efficiency, in the footprint of a MINI Cooper, the TELO MT1 is the most compact, practical and technically advanced truck.

I'm cautious anytime a brand compares themselves.

It doesn’t matter how capable, efficient, affordable, powerful, etc. the truck is. That’s not the point.

The point of a truck for 90% of American pickup truck drivers is that it signals to the world around them what team they’re on. This truck is a signal for the wrong team.

Very little information about safety other than marketing speak "Utilizing the latest in advanced safety technology—sensors to predict and classify collisions before they happen, airbags, and structural technology—to make our vehicles safer for everyone on the road."

Have they never heard of a crumple zone?

Who is the target market here?

* Purely subjective opinion: It's ugly as hell. The front of vehicles isn't just for engines, it's also for aerodynamics.

* It's crazy expensive.

* The bed looks too short to be practically useful.

* The wheels look comically small.

* The ground clearance doesn't seem to make it useful for more than suburban and urban road environments.

EVs are scam of the century. They have diverted so much economic resources into an end product that isn't even reliable let alone having a long life.

Yet to talk about the amount of mining, its carbon footprint and pretty much irreversible or really high cost extraction/restoration of batteries apart.

Longevity and carbon footprint - If that's not your yardstick than other than that the EVs are great. Have more power than any combustion engine can ever have, have more torque, more acceleration and pretty much zero maintenance as far as the "engine" is concerned. No noise, no emissions, no vibrations either.