I agree with you about the Canoo’s waste space in front of the driver. I saw one up close at Fully Charged San Diego and I was surprised by the empty space behind the wind shield.
Actually the Telo has a smaller foot print than the APTERA. I was also just as excited to see this vehicle back in June and was able to make a reservation….$152 (actual length 152”). 2 very bright engineers who have a storied past and lots of energy to hopefully find a way towards production. I am though surprised that you didn’t hear about the Telo until this past December.
I am fully into Telo as an idea. I have literally never entertained the idea of a pickup truck because they were just too big (I don't like the concept of accidently running over something and not even knowing it) until I saw Telo. I would never haul anything major, but I do go to Lowes often enough to justify it.
Telo is using Yves Behar, winner of many design awards and founder of Fuse Project. However, Yves made his name designing appliances, consumer electronics, medical devices, and furniture. This might be his first automobile design and I feel like it is not as strong as his previous projects. Still, it seems like a well thought out design and it pushes the envelope.
Living in an older city with most homes here having drive ways sizes for two cars before the truck boom this would be a fantastic small (pun) contractor vehicle.
Steve being too young to remember riding in the back of an El Camino.... This was what it was like growing up in the 70s and 80s. Seats or seatbelts??? What are those? I love the idea and concept of the Telo. I think Steve is overthinking everything at this stage. The Telo designers are already ahead of him and I'm sure how it all works and will be waterproof, dude. For me it will replace my RAV4 Hybrid as I would use it to move some yard work and stuff that is oversized, that I coudln't move in my Aptera. The thing is that the Canoo is close to being in production. But I really like the size of the Telo.
I loved the Rancheros and El Caminos! They still sell those types in Australia…not sure why they don’t here. Either way, I love how the EV Platform brings so many options for design like this!
I asked about the third row in there discord. And I guess the glass between the second and third row is removable and you would just access the third row like any other 3 row suv, by folding or sliding the second row forward and climb in. Also the gear tunnel door should be a step just like the rivian.
A *rumble seat* !! I love it! Access could be by folding down the middle seat and scooting out the rear, and communication with the front passengers could be with a wind-down window. Rumble seats were a fun ride in the Ford Model A, and it would be a giggle here.
I told my grandmother, who grew up in Nebraska in the 20’s, how cool Rumble seats would be…yeah…she HATED them. No wonder…winter in Nebraska and your only option is the outside seat!
The word you were looking for in regard to the drop down rear seats, is mid gate. In regards to the third row seats, The rear wheels are shaped like steps, in order to get in, and if it is a smaller truck, one could just hop, or throw a leg over.
The fold down wall separating the truck bed from the back seat folds back into the truck bed, and the 2nd row seats tilt forward to allow access to the 3rd row.
I'm not into trucks, but if I had to get one, I think this Telo would be something I would be into. As for the aerodynamics, I don't think that people getting utility vehicles are concerned too much about that over the utility power, such as pulling power or bed space.
I really like this vehicle. Small pickup trucks are very popular because of their versatility. I grew up in the 1970s and everyone owned one of these including construction people. I currently own a 1985 Toyota truck. What changed I have been told is that the fuel economy regulations on trucks is now based on the size of the truck and it means my truck would need to get 42 mpg but the large trucks its closet to 20. This forced manufacturers (albeit very willingly I am sure) to only make really big trucks. The Toyota Tacoma is huge compared to my truck. But there is no doubt that the Telo will sell very well if they can get this to market.
What if? ...when the topper is added at the factory, they integrate it into the existing cab and remove the original rear windscreen. Then ingres/egress would be the same as any 3-row SUV.
Good morning Steve, Nice review but in most jurisdictions passengers in the bed of a truck is absolutely prohibited. And dangerous. I've ordered a Canoo pickup. But they and Aptera will need to start delivering soon as when 85 occurs I will start taking a very serous look at my driving anywhere in anything.
I agree and the issue about water or leaking is a non issue. The door seal on vehicle doors is all that is needed anyways. It’s not hard to make the truck bed shell water proof if people are worried about it.
I’ve been interested in the Telo, but more with the van than the pickup. I don’t think the van top is easily removable, but if it was you would need a lift to move it as I think it would be heavier than a canopy on a regular truck. I’ve also been very interested in the Canoo van, but I have hesitated over the 200 mile range. I’d prefer to see at least 250. Plus they will be delivering the Walmart vans for awhile before anyone else can get one. Fiat/Ram showed off the US version electric van that I had thought was going to have a 250 mile range, but instead it’s 160 miles for $78k, so that’s not going to work for me. Hilariously Ford has a 250mile Transit Custom in the UK, but shipping it here would add the 25% Chicken tax that Congress gave us in the 1960’s to save domestic manufacturers from being overrun with VW Microbusses and similar vehicles with less than four seats. I had a 1985 Toyota Van which was the most perfect vehicle, but probably not safe at all. The 2nd and 3rd row seats folded flat to make a huge bed and the front seats were above the front wheels and motor and if I stretched my feet I could wiggle the headlights. It got 27mpg, but you had to accept that you were going up mountain passes in 2nd, or 3rd gear because it did not have much power. I looked into buying a KEI pickup from a Japanese auction, but a couple states like Maine won’t allow them to register for on road use. You can buy and ship them to Seattle for about $5k, but now I would rather have an electric vehicle. For awhile I was pretty interested because they can bolt on an UTV wheel and tire and be a pretty good off road rig.
Good call. I already thought, that next to an Aptera would be my ideal garage. Well... thr Aptera would be outside, of course. Ha! Too much $ for now tho. Hopefully they can get to scale to make it more affordable.
I need a large truck cause I need to haul a trailer and vehicle/ toys, usually about 8K-10K#. how muck can this truck haul? went to site and could not find the max hauling weight
This is not the truck for you then. This is the truck for people who use a truck to go camping and carry camping gear and their mountain bikes or go kayaking and surfing and make the occasional home improvement store run
They claim 5-6K lbs because of 500hp but with that wheelbase that seems inadequate. Maybe 3500 lbs but then 500hp is excessive. I hope they match the specs better.
TELO looks good but it's doubtful that they'll get built. If you have an minivan, you can fit lots of stuff in those. A trailer is also an option. These days, most big box home supply chains offer trucks for rent. A regular person doesn't need a pickup unless they use that functionality a lot. A lot of them will deliver materials to your site for a fee. I re-roofed my house about 20 yrs ago. I wasn't about to carry shingles up a ladder. Menards brought shingles on a big truck with a boom with forks and brought them up to my roof. All I had to do was carry and stack the bundles. The fee, at that time, was $25. I would like to have a small truck but I don't really need one.
Not sure if anyone has already commented, but small trucks exist in many countries outside the USA! We are originally from India and small truck is the way to transport stuff economically. It's not a great creation or invention. Americans like everything BIG - that's all. Automobiles, fruits, vegetables, houses,...
Telo is a great idea, and I think it's important to remember that if you want a truck, functionally should take precedent over aerodynamics and styling. THAT BEING SAID, I love the space efficiency of the Telo, but the reality is, in the North American market, people do a lot of highway miles, and aerodynamics are super important. "It's a big as a Mini" is a awesome slogan, but if they made it as long as a Transit, it would still be incredibly compact, and they could likely increase the cargo space or the aerodynamics of the design. If they could get access to the BInC technology that Aptera is using, and were able to decrease the weight, that would be the ideal situation for me. Also makes me wonder 🤔, it would look totally ridiculous as a 3 wheeler, but would it really change the functionality or stability if you threw the bed over a third wheel? The Aptera is already incredibly stable. If a loaded 3 wheel Telo was less stable, but still as stable as an SUV, it would still be very very stable
I think their target numbers (miles, 0-60, pull weight capacity, etc) are pulled out of their rear end, and isn't calculated from the theorized characteristics of the vehicle design. The exposed front wheels as you mentioned, are a big red flag. Showing off a not thought out extra seat row solution also indicates that this is a team ruled by wishful thinking and optimism without the rigor necessary to evaluate viability. While I don't have hope for it, I would enjoy if their design & engineering capabilities eventually catches up to their goals, because the functionality goals would be an amazing 2nd vehicle. Who knows, maybe even if they fail, another company with more ability will achieve something similar with this as their inspiration, but then fixing some of the pie in the sky tradeoffs (like them choosing "steering feel" over aerodynamics). Talking off aerodynamics, the front could certainly be more optimized for it. I suspect they don't use/have the tools to simulate it well yet... or think they don't have to care that much because they think it looks very cool there. Canoo at least is pretty low bullshit safe design and the modularity logic actually stands up to scrutiny.
I'd be happy with a Hyundai Santa Cruz over this, and it's likely that Hyundai will have an electric truck similar to that before this Telo would ever be able to go into production.
Small EV truck ✅ Mid gate ✅ Removable rear cover ✅ Tow capacity ✅ Affordable ☑️ Solid-state battery ❌ This checks all of my boxes. Add a roof cargo carrier and it's the best of all worlds. Maybe make a larger version in a few years with 3k lb towing capacity and solid-state battery to double the range.
The Canoo and the Telo are both great and I hope they succeed, but I'm sceptical. Elon's greatest achievement was actually bringing EVs to market profitably. Amazing really.
On the falling stock issue. Market manipulation has made the stock market not very useful for determining a company's worth and it's not always profit motivated. Malicious targeted manipulation can be used destroy a company intentionally. I'm beginning to think the only way to fight it is for the average person to just ignore the stock market and support what you like because the politicians aren't willing or able to regulate or bring things under control. We like to think we're an advanced civilization but in reality the basis of our entire economic system is awkward and riddled with easily exploitable flaws.
Will you address Warren Redlich's recent aptera critiques? He mentioned in 2020 aptera was claiming an aptera semi by 2023, with marketing materials to show claims.. here we are 2024 and we haven't seen even a single crash test, let alone delivery.. is this channel just covering the positive to stay in good standing with aptera? Seems a bit that way
Any comments anyone, on the report in Fox News regarding Tesla charging stations not working in extreme freeze? I am a bit disappointed with Fox News, using that as an opportunity to highlight the benefits of ICE cars.
I spent several winters in Wyoming where it gets COLD. At -35 and below, diesel fuel turns to gel. All forms of vehicle transportation begins to suffer. In January of 1979, the uranium mining industry in central WY shut down because their big machines were too cold to start and run. Minus 55 to minus 60 degrees F kinda stops everything. Unfortunately, FAUX News isn't slowed down by cold weather.
Yes, there is REAL news of this Event. Kyle Connor did two videos on this-see Out of Spec webpage. In summary, it was ignorance, overcrowding, broken chargers and cold. Your right, the story was slanted to benefit the anti EV crowd. I have seen the same thing with gas cars; frozen fuel lines, lines at a gas station for hours when a BIG winter storm is on the way, cracked engine blocks and more. Indeed the hotels in the extreme northern Maine have 110 outlets out side to plug in the engine block heaters seen on many gas cars. In summary, its an anti EV story
Read the NPR version too. Seems like the EV learning curve bit them. Just like ICE, read the owners manual and keep your tank/battery at least half full for similar reasons (charge prep/condensation).
For me it is between Canoo and this company. my issue with this company is the truck is too expensive. I believe the Canoo will be much cheaper, not that you can't get one that costs as much as the Telo. Aptera also has a low cost version and I hope Telo does the same, a lower cost version vice a more expensive version.
Telo is as clever as Aptera certainly, but whereas Aptera is energy efficient Telo is space efficient. If you look at the projected range and the proposed battery size (huge) it looks like it will be pretty inefficient, in fact. I would love to have a Telo, especially with a cap on the back making it basically a microminivan (get rid of the third row). BUT... I'd like them to do some work on the aero (those exposed front wheels are a mistake, and the vent through the door won't save it) and other efficiency factors before I could really consider it.
That vent will be 'an iceberg' in snow country in winter. Will the doors even work with ice in the frames. And the door vents; will they detract from heating and cooling the cabin?
I have a ton of questions about this one. I'd be very concerned about safety, especially front impact. I question how this will pass our safety regulations. It will also be useless to most pickup drivers where I live. How the hell are you going to intimidate people with a truck the size of a Mini? They won't be able to hide their little wee-wees behind this. How are they going to act all rough and rugged driving this? Also, calling it a pickup for urban living is such a dumb idea. Who wants to admit that they live in a city (even if most of us do)? That so many people want to move to the country is what destroys farms where I live (its all too typical here to name your suburban development after the farm you bought for the land) and explains why the traffic jams in Isle of Wight County at rush hour are monumental for the amount of people who actually live there. If there's a reason this will fail, it's that it permits none of the lies we tell ourselves with buying a pickup truck. That's one of the things I like about it, actually. Also, it's worth noting that you have no idea what that interior would look like. There are no pictures on the website. I wish them well, because there's people who definitely would buy this, given the chance. A fair number of them would be those who miss actual compact pickup trucks.
I don't understand the passion americans have for open beds trucks. Everywhere else professionals use vans, you get more volume and your stuff cannot be stolen and it's protected from the rain. At least they do have a "van" version
as a farmer, an avid ev fan, and an early reservation holder on a launch edition i get the idea that not everyone that drives one of the big trucks needs one but consider the reason folks use trucks: 1) they want the, "cool" factor of being associated with people who do real work. 2) they need the cargo capacity. 3) they need the towing capacity. most of you folks who whine about the pickups that we use to PRODUCE THE FOOD YOU EAT just want it for the first reason so you can take your mountain bikes out twice a year and ride down prepared runs with your man buns bouncing in the wind while you dream of what youre going to get from starbucks when youre done. for those of us who like the room so we can get in the truck without getting blood all over the seat from our normal work days (and no im not kidding) please leave us alone. or you can grow your own vegetables; maybe you should, its not hard and i could retire.
Ok, let's look at this thing. Look how very narrow front to rear the front doors are, and even the back doors aren't big enough for entry and exit. Front seat has no legroom either and no room for crash structure. The vehicle is far too narrow for 3 across seating. It's an impossibly cramped 2+2 and the only way the bed is 5 feet long is because they took that space from the passengers.
Wish they designed the interior of the bed 8' long with the taligate up without having to cut into the cabin space. In America, 8' should be the standard length for pick up truck beds, but it isn't because modern truck front ends and cabins are massive. 8' is the most common length of construction materials and it's annoying having to keep the tailgate down and strap items or lean them diagonally over the tailgate.
Yeah, Telo is an interesting idea, but Aptera is focussing, whereas Telo seems to me to unfocussed. All those options are difficult to design well and even more so to build in high quality. Good luck.
People who buy trucks buy them because they're Big Tough Trucks for Big Tough People. They then proceed to use them like a car that gets terrible economy. They don't care about the practicality, they care about the image they're projecting and how that makes them feel. Offering something with the same utility but without the Big Tough image means the Tacoma buyers will never, ever consider this thing. They'll need to find their own niche customer.
@@jamesengland7461 Yes, but none of them buy 4 foot bed trucks. The people who do buy those short bed trucks don't work out of them and on some slim occasion I'll see them with a dirt bike in the back. Otherwise the utility of those vehicles gets limited to buying some plants at Home Depot and getting a friend move some piece of furniture, but not too big of a piece of furniture.
I'm normally not a truck person, but this Telo is one pickup that I could see myself owning. The interesting thing is that the Telo is supposed to have a pretty large battery (I vaguely recall the video mentioning something in the size of 85-100 kwh) and its curb weight is approximately 4400 pounds. I imagine this might be a pretty good vehicle to tow trailers. The main limitation for towing may be that the wheelbase is a bit short. That back seat actually kinda reminded me of a "rumble seat" which was used in some cars from the 20s & 30s. It may not be the best place to be on the freeway, but it may be fine for around town driving.
As for comparing to Aptera, renderings are easy, making it a reality is where the difficulty comes in and then comes production which makes all the difficulty in the first prototypes look like child's play. Got to love the claim of having more horsepower than a Model 3 Performance, seriously they claim 500hp. just like renders, claims are easy. I do like the Canoo but they have many different seating options for the cabin. Guarantee that price charged to Oklahoma was to satisfy a contract and not what they would sell them for Telo has an interesting idea but the front wheels in front of the bumper while legal on a truck don't make the cut in the real world as even some minor front end bumps may cause considerable damage.
Telo is definitely further behind but they have the right people and a good design. I hope all the good EV ideas can make it to production but needless to say it is hard. We need more viable non-Tesla EV options and legacy has been very resistant and the FUD is getting insane. I hope this push by ignorant people doesnt result in the US sticking with gas like they stuck with imperial measurements.
a bed cap is water tight, and easy to take on and off...the problem with that thrid row is the seats are facing the wrong way...they need to be rear facing...Subaru figured that out like 40 years ago.
4x8 sheet with the tailgate up? The whole truck is only 152 " long. 152 - 2 for the tailgate thickness -96 for the wood leaves only 54 " for the thickness of the front seat, driver seating, front crash structure and crumple zone, and front tires sticking out an inch. You do NOT want that plywood to go through the back of your seat in a frontal crash, either, so there'd better be a bulkhead to stop it. Flooring ply at 70# a sheet will crush your back after breaking the seat in even a slow crash. You will be the crumple zone.
This writer did see the original video. And this thing has promise, but it 'has miles to go before I sleep' worth of work to do before it sees the light of day. The motor bay will be cramped; hub motors would serve this well. The Canoo has the 'motor under the dash' like the Cyber truck, which means you will play merry hell to get to ANYTHING for a simple Maintenace work. I suspect I will be long dead before this is made; which that alone is a HUGE IF!
I like the Telo a lot but the rear seat idea is horrible, in my opinion, and it is probably illegal for safety and egress reasons in the U.S. The headlights look kinda cool but just a couple of big round lights would work better and also look much better. I understand the hollow door to direct airflow but you'd have to spay bug killer in there from time-to-time. Some form of wheel cover in the front would do so much to decrease drag. My two favorite vehicles in development are Aptera and Telo. I wish both companies luck.
I look at their mockups, and it would seriously benefit from making the cabin a fair bit longer just for the sake of rear seat legroom. The images on their website denoting the seating arrangement indicates to me that the back seat is not at all suitable for adults. If they add about 30 cm or so to their purported length, put it pretty much entirely in the cabin space, they'll have something that's about Mini Countryman sized overall, but still a meter or so shorter than the Tacoma, while still having the cargo capacity and there's some possibility of comfort inside the cab.
One of the problems with heavier ebikes is taking them to a distant location to ride. You can mount a trailer hitch and a bike carrier, but many cars (my Honda Insight, for example) aren't structurally strong enough to mount a trailer hitch. Something like the Telo would be a good option, but I don't know about hanging the front wheel of an ebike over the rear gate. That seems makeshift to me and not secure.
I watched Drew's video when it came out. After some additional research, I decided to reserve one. I had a cybertruck reservation, but I got that refunded due to it being over promised and under delivered.
This would suit my needs, assuming the price is on point. Aptera can't haul a motorcycle so I'm still on the fence for the price Aptera wants for it's mid range.
At the stage where Ideas shift to Modeling prior to Concept in preparation for Prototype. I like the Ideas and the possibilities presented at this stage. Lets hope they are still on track with this in a year or so. At this point, almost anything is possible.
After investing time effort and money into startups Elio, Canoo, and Aptera I don't think i'll ever do it again. I love Aptera, and I think it will succeed, but its just such a long shot for any company to make it.
I echo your thoughts; this writer invested in NOBE and Aptera, and that's it, no more of this heartache. I had one failure and one 'maybe it will succeed' with the Aptera.
Trucks are big cus towing capacity. America is a camper country. People want to be able to tow big heavy campers. There is a whole culture surrounded around hauling big camper across the country to visit all of the varied beauty of this large country.
Eh, there are a LOT of big honkin' trucks sold to people who would NEVER consider going camping. If you ARE camping yeah I get it (tho I'd rather have a towing capable SUV than a pickup unless you're talking 5th wheel / gooseneck). And really you can safely tow a small to medium camper with a mid-sized SUV. Heck when I was a kid back in the 70's people were towing decent sized campers with sedans when they still were body-on-frame. Mostly people overestimate what they really need or buy for the "what if" scenario they most likely will never need ("I never go camping or even thought much about it, but what if I do at some point? Better get a massive truck!").
Is this end user switchable from pickup to mini-van? Or is it just a different configuration. If switchable, that's quite innovative for someone that needs that flexibility. I'm sure it needs a front bumper. and your comment "that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make" regarding the lack of crumple zone... well, I am not sure everyone wants to sacrifice safety when they drive. I'd be surprised if they sell many if their crash tests show you put you and your front passenger life at risk in a greater way than most other cars. I give it a 3 out of 10 overall. They get points for ingenuity of change-over, but it looks ugly, most likely not too safe in a collision. Of course, It is a work in progress , so I'll watch with interest.
I love it. My one change would be a slightly extended nose to allow for a small frunk and a bit more crumple zone. We all know why guys buy full size trucks but never really use them as trucks.
Aptera aproaching 20y mark and no product for sale , unfortunately not much hope this making it unless they take it to China and have Chines build it .
Tesla model 3 is under 4,000 lbs and has amazing crash safety, you don't need to be in a 8,000 lb vehicle to be safe. Model y are under 4,400 and seat 7.. also extremely safe and highest crash test rating.
The more I see vehicles like this the more I appreciate the absolute simplicity of the Aptera.
I agree with you about the Canoo’s waste space in front of the driver. I saw one up close at Fully Charged San Diego and I was surprised by the empty space behind the wind shield.
Crumple zones arent optional
I, too, am pulling for these BEV startups.
I love this TELO design even though it isn't perfect. I love the small size and efficient use of space.
Actually the Telo has a smaller foot print than the APTERA. I was also just as excited to see this vehicle back in June and was able to make a reservation….$152 (actual length 152”). 2 very bright engineers who have a storied past and lots of energy to hopefully find a way towards production. I am though surprised that you didn’t hear about the Telo until this past December.
I am fully into Telo as an idea. I have literally never entertained the idea of a pickup truck because they were just too big (I don't like the concept of accidently running over something and not even knowing it) until I saw Telo. I would never haul anything major, but I do go to Lowes often enough to justify it.
An external front crash airbag would be worth considering for vehicles like the Telo
Telo is a cool idea. They need to hire Jason Hill to evolve the design while maintaining the use flexibility.
Telo is using Yves Behar, winner of many design awards and founder of Fuse Project. However, Yves made his name designing appliances, consumer electronics, medical devices, and furniture. This might be his first automobile design and I feel like it is not as strong as his previous projects. Still, it seems like a well thought out design and it pushes the envelope.
Living in an older city with most homes here having drive ways sizes for two cars before the truck boom this would be a fantastic small (pun) contractor vehicle.
😂😂😂 Or a large (fat) contractor doing only small projects.
Steve being too young to remember riding in the back of an El Camino.... This was what it was like growing up in the 70s and 80s. Seats or seatbelts??? What are those? I love the idea and concept of the Telo. I think Steve is overthinking everything at this stage. The Telo designers are already ahead of him and I'm sure how it all works and will be waterproof, dude. For me it will replace my RAV4 Hybrid as I would use it to move some yard work and stuff that is oversized, that I coudln't move in my Aptera. The thing is that the Canoo is close to being in production. But I really like the size of the Telo.
I rode up and down the west coast in the bed seats of a Subaru Brat.
I loved the Rancheros and El Caminos! They still sell those types in Australia…not sure why they don’t here. Either way, I love how the EV Platform brings so many options for design like this!
I asked about the third row in there discord. And I guess the glass between the second and third row is removable and you would just access the third row like any other 3 row suv, by folding or sliding the second row forward and climb in. Also the gear tunnel door should be a step just like the rivian.
A *rumble seat* !! I love it! Access could be by folding down the middle seat and scooting out the rear,
and communication with the front passengers could be with a wind-down window. Rumble seats were
a fun ride in the Ford Model A, and it would be a giggle here.
I told my grandmother, who grew up in Nebraska in the 20’s, how cool Rumble seats would be…yeah…she HATED them. No wonder…winter in Nebraska and your only option is the outside seat!
@@nthused - Rumble seats are like convertibles - they're made for sunny mild weather, and when the weather is right, they're heaven! :-)
The word you were looking for in regard to the drop down rear seats, is mid gate.
In regards to the third row seats, The rear wheels are shaped like steps, in order to get in, and if it is a smaller truck, one could just hop, or throw a leg over.
older people remember crawling in the way back of a stationwagon 1950 -1970
The fold down wall separating the truck bed from the back seat folds back into the truck bed, and the 2nd row seats tilt forward to allow access to the 3rd row.
If I had any use for, and interest in, a pickup, this is what I would be paying attention to.
I'm not into trucks, but if I had to get one, I think this Telo would be something I would be into. As for the aerodynamics, I don't think that people getting utility vehicles are concerned too much about that over the utility power, such as pulling power or bed space.
I like it. Wheel covers would make it look like a mitsubishi imieve
I really like this vehicle. Small pickup trucks are very popular because of their versatility. I grew up in the 1970s and everyone owned one of these including construction people. I currently own a 1985 Toyota truck. What changed I have been told is that the fuel economy regulations on trucks is now based on the size of the truck and it means my truck would need to get 42 mpg but the large trucks its closet to 20. This forced manufacturers (albeit very willingly I am sure) to only make really big trucks. The Toyota Tacoma is huge compared to my truck. But there is no doubt that the Telo will sell very well if they can get this to market.
I like it. Hope it makes it off paper and into the real world.
It needs a bigger bed and 2 person cab. With a little space behind seats for rope & tie downs.
What if? ...when the topper is added at the factory, they integrate it into the existing cab and remove the original rear windscreen. Then ingres/egress would be the same as any 3-row SUV.
I'd drive around with my cat on board. She'd be a TELO-kitty ;)
It’s too blunt in front, must have a huge wind resistance, not slippery at all
Even if the front were less blunt, the back would cause huge drag. Pickups without fastback caps are not easy to make aerodynamically efficient.
Electric Kei Trucks. will need some serious lobbying to make this legal in the US. I love it. make me one.
Good morning Steve, Nice review but in most jurisdictions passengers in the bed of a truck is absolutely prohibited. And dangerous.
I've ordered a Canoo pickup. But they and Aptera will need to start delivering soon as when 85 occurs I will start taking a very serous look at my driving anywhere in anything.
It is a larger Silverado EV with mid-gate.
The Telo rear cover does not "need" to be water proof. It is covering a pickup bed
I agree and the issue about water or leaking is a non issue. The door seal on vehicle doors is all that is needed anyways. It’s not hard to make the truck bed shell water proof if people are worried about it.
I’ve been interested in the Telo, but more with the van than the pickup. I don’t think the van top is easily removable, but if it was you would need a lift to move it as I think it would be heavier than a canopy on a regular truck. I’ve also been very interested in the Canoo van, but I have hesitated over the 200 mile range. I’d prefer to see at least 250. Plus they will be delivering the Walmart vans for awhile before anyone else can get one.
Fiat/Ram showed off the US version electric van that I had thought was going to have a 250 mile range, but instead it’s 160 miles for $78k, so that’s not going to work for me.
Hilariously Ford has a 250mile Transit Custom in the UK, but shipping it here would add the 25% Chicken tax that Congress gave us in the 1960’s to save domestic manufacturers from being overrun with VW Microbusses and similar vehicles with less than four seats.
I had a 1985 Toyota Van which was the most perfect vehicle, but probably not safe at all. The 2nd and 3rd row seats folded flat to make a huge bed and the front seats were above the front wheels and motor and if I stretched my feet I could wiggle the headlights. It got 27mpg, but you had to accept that you were going up mountain passes in 2nd, or 3rd gear because it did not have much power.
I looked into buying a KEI pickup from a Japanese auction, but a couple states like Maine won’t allow them to register for on road use. You can buy and ship them to Seattle for about $5k, but now I would rather have an electric vehicle. For awhile I was pretty interested because they can bolt on an UTV wheel and tire and be a pretty good off road rig.
Good call. I already thought, that next to an Aptera would be my ideal garage. Well... thr Aptera would be outside, of course. Ha!
Too much $ for now tho. Hopefully they can get to scale to make it more affordable.
You didn't bring up the hole at the doors. The air from the tire is pushed through the door panels.
I think four and maybe six is a stretch. Eight is telephone booth possibility!?
I was thinking 🤡🚐
😂
Telo main office (where that vid was shot) is just a couple of cities from me.
I need a large truck cause I need to haul a trailer and vehicle/ toys, usually about 8K-10K#. how muck can this truck haul? went to site and could not find the max hauling weight
This is not the truck for you then. This is the truck for people who use a truck to go camping and carry camping gear and their mountain bikes or go kayaking and surfing and make the occasional home improvement store run
They claim 5-6K lbs because of 500hp but with that wheelbase that seems inadequate. Maybe 3500 lbs but then 500hp is excessive. I hope they match the specs better.
TELO looks good but it's doubtful that they'll get built. If you have an minivan, you can fit lots of stuff in those. A trailer is also an option. These days, most big box home supply chains offer trucks for rent. A regular person doesn't need a pickup unless they use that functionality a lot. A lot of them will deliver materials to your site for a fee. I re-roofed my house about 20 yrs ago. I wasn't about to carry shingles up a ladder. Menards brought shingles on a big truck with a boom with forks and brought them up to my roof. All I had to do was carry and stack the bundles. The fee, at that time, was $25. I would like to have a small truck but I don't really need one.
Good application for in-wheel motors to maximize cargo space.
Not sure if anyone has already commented, but small trucks exist in many countries outside the USA! We are originally from India and small truck is the way to transport stuff economically. It's not a great creation or invention. Americans like everything BIG - that's all. Automobiles, fruits, vegetables, houses,...
Telo is a great idea, and I think it's important to remember that if you want a truck, functionally should take precedent over aerodynamics and styling.
THAT BEING SAID, I love the space efficiency of the Telo, but the reality is, in the North American market, people do a lot of highway miles, and aerodynamics are super important. "It's a big as a Mini" is a awesome slogan, but if they made it as long as a Transit, it would still be incredibly compact, and they could likely increase the cargo space or the aerodynamics of the design.
If they could get access to the BInC technology that Aptera is using, and were able to decrease the weight, that would be the ideal situation for me.
Also makes me wonder 🤔, it would look totally ridiculous as a 3 wheeler, but would it really change the functionality or stability if you threw the bed over a third wheel? The Aptera is already incredibly stable. If a loaded 3 wheel Telo was less stable, but still as stable as an SUV, it would still be very very stable
I think their target numbers (miles, 0-60, pull weight capacity, etc) are pulled out of their rear end, and isn't calculated from the theorized characteristics of the vehicle design. The exposed front wheels as you mentioned, are a big red flag. Showing off a not thought out extra seat row solution also indicates that this is a team ruled by wishful thinking and optimism without the rigor necessary to evaluate viability.
While I don't have hope for it, I would enjoy if their design & engineering capabilities eventually catches up to their goals, because the functionality goals would be an amazing 2nd vehicle. Who knows, maybe even if they fail, another company with more ability will achieve something similar with this as their inspiration, but then fixing some of the pie in the sky tradeoffs (like them choosing "steering feel" over aerodynamics).
Talking off aerodynamics, the front could certainly be more optimized for it. I suspect they don't use/have the tools to simulate it well yet... or think they don't have to care that much because they think it looks very cool there.
Canoo at least is pretty low bullshit safe design and the modularity logic actually stands up to scrutiny.
I'd be happy with a Hyundai Santa Cruz over this, and it's likely that Hyundai will have an electric truck similar to that before this Telo would ever be able to go into production.
Tire drag ... The top of the tire is moving forward at 60mph at a vehicle speed of 30mph ... So yeah big aero drag.
Small EV truck ✅ Mid gate ✅ Removable rear cover ✅ Tow capacity ✅ Affordable ☑️ Solid-state battery ❌ This checks all of my boxes. Add a roof cargo carrier and it's the best of all worlds. Maybe make a larger version in a few years with 3k lb towing capacity and solid-state battery to double the range.
The Canoo and the Telo are both great and I hope they succeed, but I'm sceptical. Elon's greatest achievement was actually bringing EVs to market profitably. Amazing really.
On the falling stock issue. Market manipulation has made the stock market not very useful for determining a company's worth and it's not always profit motivated. Malicious targeted manipulation can be used destroy a company intentionally. I'm beginning to think the only way to fight it is for the average person to just ignore the stock market and support what you like because the politicians aren't willing or able to regulate or bring things under control. We like to think we're an advanced civilization but in reality the basis of our entire economic system is awkward and riddled with easily exploitable flaws.
I can just see this in a crash test😂
Will you address Warren Redlich's recent aptera critiques? He mentioned in 2020 aptera was claiming an aptera semi by 2023, with marketing materials to show claims.. here we are 2024 and we haven't seen even a single crash test, let alone delivery.. is this channel just covering the positive to stay in good standing with aptera? Seems a bit that way
Any comments anyone, on the report in Fox News regarding Tesla charging stations not working in extreme freeze?
I am a bit disappointed with Fox News, using that as an opportunity to highlight the benefits of ICE cars.
I spent several winters in Wyoming where it gets COLD. At -35 and below, diesel fuel turns to gel. All forms of vehicle transportation begins to suffer. In January of 1979, the uranium mining industry in central WY shut down because their big machines were too cold to start and run. Minus 55 to minus 60 degrees F kinda stops everything. Unfortunately, FAUX News isn't slowed down by cold weather.
Yes, there is REAL news of this Event. Kyle Connor did two videos on this-see Out of Spec webpage. In summary, it was ignorance, overcrowding, broken chargers and cold. Your right, the story was slanted to benefit the anti EV crowd. I have seen the same thing with gas cars; frozen fuel lines, lines at a gas station for hours when a BIG winter storm is on the way, cracked engine blocks and more. Indeed the hotels in the extreme northern Maine have 110 outlets out side to plug in the engine block heaters seen on many gas cars. In summary, its an anti EV story
Well mostly cos FOX news is a pandering, pathetic joke.
But you already knew that.
Read the NPR version too. Seems like the EV learning curve bit them. Just like ICE, read the owners manual and keep your tank/battery at least half full for similar reasons (charge prep/condensation).
This is what the Cybertruck should have been.
For me it is between Canoo and this company. my issue with this company is the truck is too expensive. I believe the Canoo will be much cheaper, not that you can't get one that costs as much as the Telo. Aptera also has a low cost version and I hope Telo does the same, a lower cost version vice a more expensive version.
17:40 because they did not get enough hugs as a child.
You sure it’s only a prototype, the passenger door has a major dent 😀
Wouldn’t even consider until I see IIHS crash ratings, if a go, I would consider.
Backseats are for the dogs!
The Tesla model s has rear facing child seats
Telo is as clever as Aptera certainly, but whereas Aptera is energy efficient Telo is space efficient. If you look at the projected range and the proposed battery size (huge) it looks like it will be pretty inefficient, in fact.
I would love to have a Telo, especially with a cap on the back making it basically a microminivan (get rid of the third row). BUT... I'd like them to do some work on the aero (those exposed front wheels are a mistake, and the vent through the door won't save it) and other efficiency factors before I could really consider it.
That vent will be 'an iceberg' in snow country in winter. Will the doors even work with ice in the frames. And the door vents; will they detract from heating and cooling the cabin?
most people in America buy truck to commute in.
I have a ton of questions about this one. I'd be very concerned about safety, especially front impact. I question how this will pass our safety regulations.
It will also be useless to most pickup drivers where I live. How the hell are you going to intimidate people with a truck the size of a Mini? They won't be able to hide their little wee-wees behind this. How are they going to act all rough and rugged driving this? Also, calling it a pickup for urban living is such a dumb idea. Who wants to admit that they live in a city (even if most of us do)? That so many people want to move to the country is what destroys farms where I live (its all too typical here to name your suburban development after the farm you bought for the land) and explains why the traffic jams in Isle of Wight County at rush hour are monumental for the amount of people who actually live there. If there's a reason this will fail, it's that it permits none of the lies we tell ourselves with buying a pickup truck. That's one of the things I like about it, actually.
Also, it's worth noting that you have no idea what that interior would look like. There are no pictures on the website.
I wish them well, because there's people who definitely would buy this, given the chance. A fair number of them would be those who miss actual compact pickup trucks.
I don't understand the passion americans have for open beds trucks. Everywhere else professionals use vans, you get more volume and your stuff cannot be stolen and it's protected from the rain.
At least they do have a "van" version
Telo may be a small truck but with their spec for range and power, it will not be light weight.
Aren't VW already ccoming out with a retro EV that this Telo very much looks like? If so, this will fail
as a farmer, an avid ev fan, and an early reservation holder on a launch edition i get the idea that not everyone that drives one of the big trucks needs one but consider the reason folks use trucks:
1) they want the, "cool" factor of being associated with people who do real work.
2) they need the cargo capacity.
3) they need the towing capacity.
most of you folks who whine about the pickups that we use to PRODUCE THE FOOD YOU EAT just want it for the first reason so you can take your mountain bikes out twice a year and ride down prepared runs with your man buns bouncing in the wind while you dream of what youre going to get from starbucks when youre done. for those of us who like the room so we can get in the truck without getting blood all over the seat from our normal work days (and no im not kidding) please leave us alone. or you can grow your own vegetables; maybe you should, its not hard and i could retire.
Ok, let's look at this thing. Look how very narrow front to rear the front doors are, and even the back doors aren't big enough for entry and exit. Front seat has no legroom either and no room for crash structure. The vehicle is far too narrow for 3 across seating. It's an impossibly cramped 2+2 and the only way the bed is 5 feet long is because they took that space from the passengers.
Oh, and CGI it has in common with Aptera 😂
Only has a 5 foot bed, not 6 foot.
Wish they designed the interior of the bed 8' long with the taligate up without having to cut into the cabin space. In America, 8' should be the standard length for pick up truck beds, but it isn't because modern truck front ends and cabins are massive. 8' is the most common length of construction materials and it's annoying having to keep the tailgate down and strap items or lean them diagonally over the tailgate.
Aptera of trucks? Do you mean nearly bankrupt, crowd-funded and near death before production launch?
ICE or EV?
Um ... EV.
Yeah, Telo is an interesting idea, but Aptera is focussing, whereas Telo seems to me to unfocussed. All those options are difficult to design well and even more so to build in high quality. Good luck.
People who buy trucks buy them because they're Big Tough Trucks for Big Tough People. They then proceed to use them like a car that gets terrible economy. They don't care about the practicality, they care about the image they're projecting and how that makes them feel. Offering something with the same utility but without the Big Tough image means the Tacoma buyers will never, ever consider this thing. They'll need to find their own niche customer.
Agree. Pickup people often have the opinion that evs are fore people who want to “virtue sgnal” when they are trying to tough guy working man signal.
Lots of people buy pickups and use them as intended all the time. You just don't live near those people.
You mean in Mexico ?@@jamesengland7461
@@jamesengland7461 Yes, but none of them buy 4 foot bed trucks. The people who do buy those short bed trucks don't work out of them and on some slim occasion I'll see them with a dirt bike in the back. Otherwise the utility of those vehicles gets limited to buying some plants at Home Depot and getting a friend move some piece of furniture, but not too big of a piece of furniture.
People use pickups to drive themselves, drive a family of 4, haul stuff and haul travel trailers. They serve a purpose.
Well this truck is to short , 😊 more pacific the cargo area is to short , should be another 4 ft long. The size it is now, I would not buy it,😅.
How broke is Telo?
How many clowns could fit in it ?
Considering that Aptera is just scamming investors and will never actually launch a vehicle, I would not want to be labelled the Aptera of anything.
I'm sure you will be able to remove the rear window
Isn't exposed tire illegal? Pedestrian safety reasons iirc. It'll probably get a bumper at least before they even approach production.
Good point. A bumper may help with airflow around the rotating tire as well.
I'm normally not a truck person, but this Telo is one pickup that I could see myself owning. The interesting thing is that the Telo is supposed to have a pretty large battery (I vaguely recall the video mentioning something in the size of 85-100 kwh) and its curb weight is approximately 4400 pounds. I imagine this might be a pretty good vehicle to tow trailers. The main limitation for towing may be that the wheelbase is a bit short.
That back seat actually kinda reminded me of a "rumble seat" which was used in some cars from the 20s & 30s. It may not be the best place to be on the freeway, but it may be fine for around town driving.
As for comparing to Aptera, renderings are easy, making it a reality is where the difficulty comes in and then comes production which makes all the difficulty in the first prototypes look like child's play. Got to love the claim of having more horsepower than a Model 3 Performance, seriously they claim 500hp. just like renders, claims are easy. I do like the Canoo but they have many different seating options for the cabin. Guarantee that price charged to Oklahoma was to satisfy a contract and not what they would sell them for
Telo has an interesting idea but the front wheels in front of the bumper while legal on a truck don't make the cut in the real world as even some minor front end bumps may cause considerable damage.
Telo is definitely further behind but they have the right people and a good design. I hope all the good EV ideas can make it to production but needless to say it is hard. We need more viable non-Tesla EV options and legacy has been very resistant and the FUD is getting insane. I hope this push by ignorant people doesnt result in the US sticking with gas like they stuck with imperial measurements.
I would like it to have a front end to provide a frunk and a better crumple zone.
No way! Wow I like it.
What is the front leg room?
What about front crumple zone?
a bed cap is water tight, and easy to take on and off...the problem with that thrid row is the seats are facing the wrong way...they need to be rear facing...Subaru figured that out like 40 years ago.
AND will the current Nanny State even allow the Subaru Brat style of open, rear facing seats?
Rear-facing, why? On subways/trains I’d rather stand than face backwards as it makes me feel disoriented/dizzy.
Got it (from Eric’s comment)… rear-facing = easy access, via tailgate.
@@gr8dvdthink about it. One vehicle is large and easy to access the seats while the other is not.
Additional Specs....
- Payload 1,600 lbs
- Towing 6,600 lbs
- Front Legroom 43"
- Front Headroom 40"
- Rear Legroom 33"
- Rear Headroom 39"
- Wheel travel 8"
- Ground Clearance 10"
- Tire Size (default) 215/65R16
- Tire Sizes Optional: 225/60R16, 215/60R17, 225/55R17, 215/55R18, 225/50R18, 225/45R19
4x8 sheet with the tailgate up? The whole truck is only 152 " long.
152
- 2 for the tailgate thickness
-96 for the wood
leaves only 54 " for the thickness of the front seat, driver seating, front crash structure and crumple zone, and front tires sticking out an inch. You do NOT want that plywood to go through the back of your seat in a frontal crash, either, so there'd better be a bulkhead to stop it. Flooring ply at 70# a sheet will crush your back after breaking the seat in even a slow crash. You will be the crumple zone.
This writer did see the original video. And this thing has promise, but it 'has miles to go before I sleep' worth of work to do before it sees the light of day. The motor bay will be cramped; hub motors would serve this well. The Canoo has the 'motor under the dash' like the Cyber truck, which means you will play merry hell to get to ANYTHING for a simple Maintenace work. I suspect I will be long dead before this is made; which that alone is a HUGE IF!
I like the Telo a lot but the rear seat idea is horrible, in my opinion, and it is probably illegal for safety and egress reasons in the U.S. The headlights look kinda cool but just a couple of big round lights would work better and also look much better. I understand the hollow door to direct airflow but you'd have to spay bug killer in there from time-to-time. Some form of wheel cover in the front would do so much to decrease drag. My two favorite vehicles in development are Aptera and Telo. I wish both companies luck.
I prefer my small hatchback to have a full roof. OK, 3:10 that makes is almost appealing. 5:00 just make it a van. 5:31 o there you go.
I look at their mockups, and it would seriously benefit from making the cabin a fair bit longer just for the sake of rear seat legroom. The images on their website denoting the seating arrangement indicates to me that the back seat is not at all suitable for adults. If they add about 30 cm or so to their purported length, put it pretty much entirely in the cabin space, they'll have something that's about Mini Countryman sized overall, but still a meter or so shorter than the Tacoma, while still having the cargo capacity and there's some possibility of comfort inside the cab.
One of the problems with heavier ebikes is taking them to a distant location to ride. You can mount a trailer hitch and a bike carrier, but many cars (my Honda Insight, for example) aren't structurally strong enough to mount a trailer hitch. Something like the Telo would be a good option, but I don't know about hanging the front wheel of an ebike over the rear gate. That seems makeshift to me and not secure.
I watched Drew's video when it came out. After some additional research, I decided to reserve one. I had a cybertruck reservation, but I got that refunded due to it being over promised and under delivered.
I'm liking this one already, if the third row of seats is isolated from the the rest of the car it'll be an ideal place for the mother in law 😁
With or without the top, in the sun, rain, sleet, snow?
@@ramblingrhinos4809 your putting ideas into my head now 😁
Or two kids; they can fight and scream and the adults will not hear nor care!
And teens…
This would suit my needs, assuming the price is on point. Aptera can't haul a motorcycle so I'm still on the fence for the price Aptera wants for it's mid range.
Front crumple zone (or lack thereof) looks a bit worrisome...
wear steel toe boots😂
At the stage where Ideas shift to Modeling prior to Concept in preparation for Prototype. I like the Ideas and the possibilities presented at this stage. Lets hope they are still on track with this in a year or so. At this point, almost anything is possible.
After investing time effort and money into startups Elio, Canoo, and Aptera I don't think i'll ever do it again. I love Aptera, and I think it will succeed, but its just such a long shot for any company to make it.
I echo your thoughts; this writer invested in NOBE and Aptera, and that's it, no more of this heartache. I had one failure and one 'maybe it will succeed' with the Aptera.
If the seats in the bed of the truck were facing backwards you could access them from the tailgate, like a Subaru Brat
I grew up in farm country and rode in the pickup beds a lot. No handles or steps were available. We just crawled over the tailgate.
Trucks are big cus towing capacity. America is a camper country. People want to be able to tow big heavy campers. There is a whole culture surrounded around hauling big camper across the country to visit all of the varied beauty of this large country.
Eh, there are a LOT of big honkin' trucks sold to people who would NEVER consider going camping. If you ARE camping yeah I get it (tho I'd rather have a towing capable SUV than a pickup unless you're talking 5th wheel / gooseneck). And really you can safely tow a small to medium camper with a mid-sized SUV. Heck when I was a kid back in the 70's people were towing decent sized campers with sedans when they still were body-on-frame. Mostly people overestimate what they really need or buy for the "what if" scenario they most likely will never need ("I never go camping or even thought much about it, but what if I do at some point? Better get a massive truck!").
Boats
Is this end user switchable from pickup to mini-van? Or is it just a different configuration. If switchable, that's quite innovative for someone that needs that flexibility. I'm sure it needs a front bumper. and your comment "that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make" regarding the lack of crumple zone... well, I am not sure everyone wants to sacrifice safety when they drive. I'd be surprised if they sell many if their crash tests show you put you and your front passenger life at risk in a greater way than most other cars. I give it a 3 out of 10 overall. They get points for ingenuity of change-over, but it looks ugly, most likely not too safe in a collision. Of course, It is a work in progress , so I'll watch with interest.
I love it. My one change would be a slightly extended nose to allow for a small frunk and a bit more crumple zone.
We all know why guys buy full size trucks but never really use them as trucks.
I'm totally with you on this video. I ordered one about a month ago just in case my Canoo doesn't pan out.
Aptera aproaching 20y mark and no product for sale , unfortunately not much hope this making it unless they take it to China and have Chines build it .
Tesla model 3 is under 4,000 lbs and has amazing crash safety, you don't need to be in a 8,000 lb vehicle to be safe. Model y are under 4,400 and seat 7.. also extremely safe and highest crash test rating.