TELO is a tiny electric truck the size of a Mini with a bed as big as a Hummer’s
TELO is a new electric truck startup based in Silicon Valley that aims to provide an electric truck with the capabilities of today’s full-size pickup trucks, but in a right-sized package that actually fits in a city.
TELO is a startup cofounded by Jason Marks, who led ADAS/Autonomous drive test programs at National Instruments, and EV industry veteran Forrest North, an early Tesla Roadster engineer, cofounder of Mission Motors and former COO of Recargo/Plugshare.
The startup is still in its early stages, but has big plans for its tiny electric truck, with a spec sheet of some pretty unbelievable specs.
TELO plans to offer a 106kWh battery on its first model, with a dual motor configuration capable of 500 horsepower. This gives the truck a 0-60 time of about four seconds, with a top speed of 125mph.
The company estimates that the truck will have a range of 350 miles, and is targeting a 20-minute charge time from 20-80% capacity (this works out to about a 190kW average charge rate from 20-80%, though it should be able to take about a 320kW peak).
All of this comes in an incredibly small package. It’s only 152 inches long – the same length as the electric Mini Cooper SE. That’s five feet shorter than the Toyota Tacoma, the best-selling “compact” pickup truck in America, and six and a half feet shorter than the F-150 Lightning. And at 4,400 lb., it weighs less than a Tesla Model Y.
Somehow, though, despite the Mini having four seats at that length, TELO promises to fit five seats and a full-size 60″ truck bed, same as the base model crew cab Tacoma. That’s six inches longer than the 54″ bed of the Rivian R1T, six inches shorter than the 66″ bed of the F-150 Lightning, and the same length as the excessive Hummer EV “supertruck,” though with 49 inches between the wheels, the TELO is a little narrower than each.
TELO says that in order to achieve this space-efficiency, it has chosen to optimize for space at all points in the design process. These design choices can be summarized as “good enough to be amazing, but we don’t have to be the best,” said TELO. By not going over-the-top with any particular spec, the company can save space and money.
For example, TELO says its battery – which uses standard 21700 cells – will be 50% more space efficient than the rest of the industry because it is able to save space with lower-amperage connections since it’s not aiming to break any records with 0-60 times like some other big-battery EVs. And the front of the truck bed is the back of the rear seats, so that’s one fewer body panel or seat part that needs to be designed, tooled, produced, and attached to the vehicle.
On that point – the rear seats act as a mid-gate, and can be folded down to create a flat surface long and wide enough to carry full 4×8 sheets of plywood or a nine-foot surfboard even with the tailgate up (and potentially fully enclosed by a tonneau cover, though TELO has not yet decided if one will come standard).
Even without a tonneau cover, the truck will have enclosed storage in the form of a tunnel storage compartment, which will function similarly to Rivian’s “gear tunnel.” This has been a popular feature on the Rivian, as a place to store dirty items that you don’t want to throw into an open bed, or to use the tunnel door itself as a seat or as a step to access gear on a roof rack.
But on the TELO, the tunnel can also be accessed from above by removing part of the truck bed. This doesn’t just give more options for accessing storage, but opens up a whole new possibility for rear passengers.
As if two rows and a full-size bed weren’t enough, TELO plans to offer an optional camper shell and bolt-in third-row seats, bringing total seating capacity to eight total passengers, says the company. In this configuration, the tunnel gets used as the footwell for the rear passengers.
Alternately, the camper shell can be used without third-row seats for enclosed storage, and TELO wants to connect it to vehicle HVAC, which could be useful for businesses or for owners who often carry pets around in the back.
The truck will be capable of V2L, with outlets in the bed, though TELO hasn’t decided how much draw it will be capable of yet.
TELO is being built with safety in mind from the get-go. Despite the short front-end with only one inch of overhang over the front wheels (on a 111.5-inch total wheelbase), the seating position is not entirely cab-over and occupants are still hidden behind a crumple zone. But in keeping with Marks’s previous expertise working on ADAS testing systems, TELO claims it has several innovative electronic aids for both driver and passenger safety planned, though it couldn’t elaborate on what specific technologies it had in mind.
But more importantly, a small electric truck is inherently safer for roads, pedestrians, and for the environment. In recent years we have seen a trend toward massive land yachts taking over the road (yet with less utility and smaller beds), with SUV and truck sales skyrocketing. And it’s been no coincidence that pedestrian deaths have risen rapidly in sync with sales of larger vehicles that often leave pedestrian safety as an extreme afterthought.
Not only do these massive trucks and SUVs harm pedestrians, they also cause more road damage, run through more tires (causing more particulate pollution from tire particles), contribute to sprawl, and use more resources both to manufacture and to operate. It’s all bad, it’s all dangerous, and we need to do something about it.
TELO offers a solution here. It’s a vehicle that has the capability of a full-size truck, but uses far fewer resources and is less of a danger to everyone around it. And for a global population that is both growing and urbanizing, small urban EVs are going to be important both for city dwellers who need or choose to have a vehicle, and for businesses that need cargo space but would benefit from a smaller vehicle.
And the company thinks that the market is ready for a truck like this. There has been some pushback brewing against rising vehicle sizes lately, and even “compact” trucks like the aforementioned Tacoma are several feet longer than this vehicle. Crossover SUVs are popular because people want cars that have more space and utility, but aren’t as big as a truck or full-size SUV.
So what if they could have even more utility in an even smaller package? It could be a hit, especially given that there isn’t anything else like it on the American market (and small delivery trucks are already popular in both Europe and Asia, so there’s your proof-of-concept).
So now, down to the bottom line: How much does it cost, and when can we get it?
TELO is currently targeting a price of $50K before incentives, and it should qualify for Inflation Reduction Act tax credits too. In the future, TELO wants to offer a version with a smaller battery and single motor, presumably with a lower price. This would be good for people who know they don’t need a huge 350-mile battery, or for businesses with set routes or mostly intracity travel. But, like most startups, the focus will be to start upmarket and deliver one highly equipped version to start off, then expand with other options later.
As for planned delivery, there are several steps to go before then. TELO wants to have a running prototype by the end of summer, a press vehicle by the end of the year, to do homologation (crash/aero analysis) over the course of the next year and conclude all of those preproduction steps in 2024. Then, it hopes to have the first 500 hand-built vehicles by the end of 2025, and 10,000 contract-manufactured vehicles in 2026.
These are all incredibly tight timelines, and basically describe perfect execution – so, as is often the case with EV startups, there may be some “flexibility” on the above dates.
If you’re interested in getting a TELO, the company is taking pre-orders today at its website, telotrucks.com. Pre-orders are $152 – just like the 152-inch length of the truck. You can also join TELO’s Discord server where it will solicit feedback on development.
Electrek’s Take
I’ve made my thoughts clear about ballooning SUV and truck sizes multiple times before on this site. In short, I’m against it. We need smaller vehicles, and we need to live in denser, greener spaces. These are important steps in the fight against climate change, which is the most important problem humanity has ever encountered.
When it comes to giant SUVs, I’m looking at you, almost every automaker, because all of you seem to be releasing giant three-row electric SUVs this year, which threatens potential emissions reductions from going EV. But I’m also looking at government, because part of the reason for that is due to rules that encourage SUVs, a problem that the EPA finally recognized and is taking some action to fix in its new regulations.
As for the TELO, even though we haven’t gotten to ride in it yet, I think it’s pretty clear that I love everything that’s been promised here.
But, when I said the specs were “unbelievable” above, I meant it. Reading through the press release, I really thought the company was pushing the bounds of reality.
After speaking with the founders, it all does seem more realistic. I can see how they can pack a lot into a tiny package, and how they’re getting a lot of the numbers they’ve quoted.
I’m still skeptical of a couple of them – promising such a huge jump in volumetric energy density, for example – but I see how most of this is possible.
And I’m also a bit skeptical of the need for so many features, when trimmed-down versions of the truck could be more fit-to-purpose. A delivery truck doesn’t need a second row of seats or 0-60 in four seconds, a family hauler doesn’t need to go 125 mph, and so on. But this is just the start, and TELO said they would offer trimmed-down versions in the future, so we’ll hope to see those.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see production timing slip, to see some features cut or made optional, or to see some other changes to price or battery size. But even with a few reductions here and there, this still is an astounding package and fills a market that needs to be filled and that nobody else is filling. And it can’t get here quick enough, in my opinion, so we hope they make it to production (making cars is hard) and can start to bend the needle in the US toward right-sized vehicles with lots of capability in less space.
As always, we’re happy to hear your feedback in the comments. What do you think about the TELO? Are their plans realistic, is there a market for this kind of truck in the US? Let us know below.
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Over the next two years, homebuilder Lennar is outfitting more than 1,500 new Colorado homes with Dandelion Energy’s geothermal systems in one of the largest residential geothermal rollouts in the US.
The big draw for homeowners is lower energy bills and cleaner heating and cooling. Dandelion claims Lennar homeowners with geothermal systems will collectively save around $30 million over the next 20 years compared to using air-source heat pumps. Geothermal heat pumps don’t need outdoor AC units or conventional heating systems, either.
Geothermal systems use the sustained temperature of the ground to heat or cool a home. A ground loop system absorbs heat energy (BTUs) from the earth so that it can be transferred to a heat pump and efficiently converted into warmth for a home. Dandelion says its ground loop systems are built to last for over 50 years and should require no maintenance.
Dandelion’s geothermal system uses a vertical ground closed-loop system that is installed using well-boring equipment and trenched back into the house to connect to a heat pump. The pipes circulate a mixture of water and propylene glycol, a food-grade antifreeze, that absorbs the ground’s temperature. A ground source heat pump circulates the liquid through the ground loops and it exchanges its heat energy in the heat pump with liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant is converted to vapor, compressed to increase its temperature, then passed through a heat exchanger to transfer heat to the air, which is circulated through a home’s HVAC ductwork.
Daniel Yates, Dandelion Energy’s CEO, called the partnership with Lennar a “new benchmark for affordable, energy-efficient, and high-quality home heating and cooling.” By streamlining its installation process, Dandelion is making geothermal systems simpler and cheaper for homebuilders and homeowners to adopt.
This collaboration is happening at a time when Colorado is pushing hard to meet its clean energy targets. Governor Jared Polis is excited about the move, calling it a win for Coloradans’ wallets, air quality, and the state’s leadership on geothermal energy. Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, said that “ensuring affordable access to geothermal heating and cooling is essential to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and we’re excited to be part of such a huge effort to bring this technology to so many new Colorado homes.”
And it’s not just about cutting emissions – geothermal heat pumps help reduce peak electric demand. Analysis from the Department of Energy found that widespread adoption of these systems could save the US from needing 24,500 miles of new transmission lines. That’s like crossing the continental US eight times.
Colorado is making this transition a lot more attractive through state tax credits and Xcel Energy’s rebate programs. These incentives slash upfront costs for builders like Lennar, making geothermal installations more financially viable. The utility’s Clean Heat Plan and electrification strategy are working to keep energy bills low while meeting climate goals.
Read more: This will be the first geothermal energy storage system on the Texas grid
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Polestar has removed the Polestar 2 from its US website header in an early sign of how new tariffs will restrict choice and competition for American consumers, thus increasing prices.
The Polestar 2 is Polestar’s first full EV – the original Polestar 1 was a limited-edition plug-in hybrid.
It started production in 2020 in Luqiao, Zhejiang, China, where Polestar and Volvo’s parent corporation, Geely, was founded.
And there’s the rub: while Polestar’s newer EV, the 3 (which we just drove the new single motor version of last week), is built in South Carolina, the 2 is not.
Unfortunately, that interacts with some news that has been getting a lot of play lately: tariffs.
The US has been gradually getting stupider and stupider on the issue of tariffs, apparently determined to increase prices for Americans and decrease the competitiveness of American manufacturing in a time of change for the auto industry.
It is widely acknowledged (by anyone who has given it a few seconds of thought) that tariffs increase prices and that trade barriers tend to reduce competition, leading to less innovation.
It started with 25% tariffs on various products from China, implemented in the 2018-2020 timeframe. Then, in 2024, President Biden implemented a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs, effectively stopping their sale in the US. These tariffs included some exceptions and credits based on Volvo’s other US manufacturing, which Polestar had used to keep the most expensive versions of the 2 on sale in the US, while restricting the lower-priced versions from sale. Nevertheless, they were a bad idea.
Now, in yet another step to make America less competitive and inflate the prices of goods more for Americans, we got more tariff announcements today from a senile ex-reality TV host who wandered into the White House rose garden (which he does not belong in). These tariffs do not include the same exceptions as the previously-announced Biden tariffs.
Apparently this has all been enough for Polestar, as even in advance of today’s tariff announcements, the company suddenly removed its Polestar 2 from its website header today.
The change can be seen at polestar.com/us, where only the Polestar 3 and 4 are listed in the header area. On other sites, like the company’s Norwegian website or British website, the car is still there. The Polestar 2 page is still up on the US website, but it isn’t linked to elsewhere on the site (we’ll see how long it stays up).
We reached out to Polestar for comment, but didn’t hear anything back before publication. We’ll update if we do.
It makes sense that the Polestar 2 would still be for sale elsewhere, as it only started production in 2020. Most car models are available for at least 7 years, so this is an earlier exit than expected.
So it’s likely that all of the tariff news is what had an effect in killing the Polestar 2.
Then again, this is also just the second day of a new fiscal quarter. Perhaps the timing offers Polestar an opportunity to make a clean break – especially now that the lower-priced version of its Polestar 3 is available.
Despite the lower $67.5k base price of the new Polestar 3 variant, that represents a big increase in price for the brand, which had sold the base model Polestar 2 for around $50k originally, before all of these tariffs.
Update: Polestar got back to us with comment, but understandably, it doesn’t say much:
Polestar is a three-car company and Polestar 2 is available for customers now. There are a select number of Polestar 2s in stock at retailers that can be found on Polestar.com, but Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 will be the priority in the North American market.
Electrek’s Take
This isn’t the first car that America has been deprived of due to tariffs. The Volvo EX30, one of our most anticipated vehicles, and Electrek’s Vehicle of the Year for 2024, had its American availability pushed back due to tariffs.
Volvo decided to build the car in Belgium and export it to the US, but now that new tariffs apply to the EU as well, maybe that low-priced, awesome, fast, small EV will instead stay in Europe instead of being shipped overseas.
This shows how mercurial tariff fiats from an ignoramus are bad for manufacturing, as they mean that companies can’t make plans – and if they can’t make plans, eventually, they’ll probably just write the country making the random decisions out of their plans so they don’t have to deal with the nonsense.
And we’ve heard this from every businessperson or manufacturer representative we’ve talked to at any level of the automotive industry. Nobody thinks any of this is a good idea, because it objectively is not. All it does is make business harder, make the US less trustworthy, make things more expensive, and overall just harm America.
Yet another way that Americans are getting screwed by this stupid nonsense. 49% of you voted for inflation, and 100% of Americans are now getting it. Happy Inflation Day, everyone.
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Lucid Motors (LCID) has now had six straight quarters with higher deliveries. The delivery record comes just as Lucid prepares to begin delivering its first electric SUV, the Gravity, to customers by the end of this month.
Lucid sets sixth straight delivery record in Q1 2025
Lucid delivered 3,109 vehicles in the first quarter, up 58% from last year and topping its previous record of 3,099 set in Q4 2024.
The company also produced 2,213 vehicles at its Casa Grande, Arizona, plant in the first three months of 2025, an increase of 28% from last year. Another 600 vehicles were in transit to Saudi Arabia, where they will be assembled at its new AMP-2 plant, Lucid’s first international manufacturing facility.
At this pace, Lucid will easily top the roughly 10,200 vehicles it delivered last year in 2025 at around 12,500. Lucid will likely see even more growth this year, with customer deliveries of its first electric SUV starting soon.
During the Gravity SUV’s “celestial arrival” last week in NYC, Lucid’s interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said the EV maker is “nearly finished building all the vehicles that we wanted to build to put them into our studio and for test drives.”
| Q4 2022 | Q1 2023 | Q2 2023 | Q3 2023 | Q4 2023 | Full-year 2023 | Q1 2024 | Q2 2024 | Q3 2024 | Q4 2024 | Full-year 2024 | Q1 2025 | |
| Lucid EV deliveries by quarter | 1,932 | 1,406 | 1,404 | 1,457 | 1,734 | 6,001 | 1,967 | 2,394 | 2,781 | 3,099 | 10,241 | 3,109 |
Winterhoff added, “by the end of April, we will resume customer deliveries of the Gravity.” Lucid delivered the first models in December, but they were for employees, friends, and family.
Lucid calls the Gravity a “no compromise” SUV with a range of up to 450 miles, 120 cubic feet of interior space, advanced technology, and sports car-like performance. The Gravity Grand Touring starts at $94,900, while the Touring model will arrive later this year at $79,900.
The new delivery record comes after Winterhoff told Fox Business last week that Lucid has seen a “dramatic uptick over the past two months” in orders from former Tesla drivers.
Currently, “50% of all the orders we have are from former Tesla owners,” Lucid’s CEO said. Winterhoff added that many are “looking for an option to not continue having a Tesla.”
Will we see the trend continue? Tesla announced earlier today that it delivered 336,681 vehicles in the first quarter, far less than the 390,000 Wall Street analysts expected.
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