Telo MT1 packs 8,000‑lb tow in a tiny city pickup

The Telo MT1 is aiming to redefine what a pickup can be in urban life. It’s a very small, nearly cab-over electric truck built in California by a company that wants to show big trucks aren’t the only practical option in cities. The MT1’s footprint is roughly the size of a two-door Mini Cooper, but it comes with a full-size bed and a tow rating that would surprise most compact cars.

Two battery choices are on offer at launch: a 77kWh pack or a larger 106kWh pack. The company says these configurations can deliver up to 350 miles of range, depending on how you drive and what you tow. What helps the MT1 stand out is its split battery design, combining both 400V and 800V architectures. The 400V setup is meant to work with existing high‑power charging networks like Tesla’s V3 Supercharger ecosystem, while the 800V side is geared toward newer, higher‑powered charging stations as they come online in areas like San Francisco.

In a test drive-style setup, Telo’s team highlighted the MT1’s brisk performance: production versions are expected to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about four seconds. That kind of punch is notable for a small, city-focused truck, especially one designed to be practical with a bed nearly 96 inches long and a respectable 8,000‑pound tow rating.

Founders Jason Marks and Forrest North describe the MT1 as a deliberate pull against today’s over‑sized pickups. North, who has a background in battery engineering and electric vehicle startups, says the team wants to show how useful a compact truck can be in crowded urban environments. For drivers, that means not only easier parking and city maneuverability but also the confidence that a small truck can still haul and tow when needed.

Battery strategy and in-house production are central to Telo’s plan. By building their own packs and fusing each cell individually, the company claims it can compartmentalize failures and avoid cascading issues across the pack. That level of detail matters because the MT1 is pitched as a practical everyday vehicle, not a garage‑lined prototype.