Telo MT1

[Cherokee]

In my Army days, I drove the predecessor to this, the original VW Bus. I remember the transmission throws were something like two feet. You got a flexibility workout just shifting. And yea, I remember merging was an adventure.

LOL Two feet !
I remember,
These were better, the throw was only 18 inches :'P

Remember the sound as it started slowing down laboring up a hill ?

Sponsored

 

[Scott Asheville]

Ok I gotta be me and be honest.
I think it’s butt ugly.
Looks very Unsafe in a front end crash.
And way over priced.
I bet there will be many come and go EV’s as time goes on and gas prices go up.
But I’d not ever consider a flat nose vehicle with my feet that close to the front.
It has a go cart look with the front wheels out there like that.
I’d bet the NTSB crash testing will fail it outright.

Anyone remember the Yugo ?
Company pulls out of the US and Yugo owners couldn’t even get brake pads.

No thank you, I’ll keep my Fords

Actually, this may very well outperform the Maverick in a frontal crash. "Joe Blow American" always thinks a long hood means safety. Nothing could be further from the truth, as that long hood typically contains a deadly hunk of heavy metal waiting to impale you. Most design effort (and some bizarre structures) is meant to send the wheels out to the side, and submarine the engine block.

In a vehicle where the front is 100% dedicated to impact absorption, 18" can easily outperform 4 or 5 feet. The wheels are irrelevant, as the goal in an impact is to have them splay out at an angle.

Still, even the Telo engineers said they wouldn't be sure until it was tested. Modern predictive crash modelling software is usually pretty good. But I'm not sure they have access to the good stuff. Those boys have a tight budget.

PS: The NTSB does not perform crash testing. Most OEMs model the crash, then run a few confirmation tests. And not all vehicles are even tested by the IIHS - they only test the big volume sellers (it costs big money to instrument and crash a vehicle)...

In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) are two organizations that perform crash tests on vehicles​

 

[TwuckHappens]

They're cool but they're not going to succeed, it's not a truck for the people and at $50k most likely it's not going to be affordable for the vast majority of people. If you needed a small KEI type truck like this for yard work and the such you could get a $2000 EV truck from Alibaba. The idea that someone would use this and a daily driver vs. something like a hybrid truck for the same price doesn't seem like a realistic use case. This would be competing against low mileage, used R1Ts at around the same price

 

[Traegorn]

They're cool but they're not going to succeed, it's not a truck for the people and at $50k most likely it's not going to be affordable for the vast majority of people. If you needed a small KEI type truck like this for yard work and the such you could get a $2000 EV truck from Alibaba. The idea that someone would use this and a daily driver vs. something like a hybrid truck for the same price doesn't seem like a realistic use case. This would be competing against low mileage, used R1Ts at around the same price

I think they actually have a good shot. These will sell well as fleet vehicles and city based work trucks at that price, and folks will cross shop these against stuff like the Model Y. The advantage to this over a Kei truck is you can take this on the freeway.

Like obviously any vehicle startup might fizzle out and fail at this point, but I don't think it'll be because of their price or their concept.

 

[Scott Asheville]

House burned up in Fairfax VA yesterday. EV in garage caused it.

Meanwhile, more than a hundred thousand (reports vary from 174,000 to 300,000+) ICE vehicles catch fire each year just in the USA, many of those in garages.

 

[710-oil-614]

I'm interested at $25-30k.

I have zero interest at $50k.

 

[Traegorn]

I'm interested at $25-30k.

I have zero interest at $50k.

I think the cost will come down if they're successful. Like their parts costs will go down per unit if they're able to scale up. They're just making sure they're profitable if they only sell, like ten.

Mostly I'm just excited for the potential of more small trucks on the road.

 

[FischAutoTechGarten]

I'm scared to get excited after what happened to Canoo. I lost a couple loan payments on them.

I had a friend with a deposit on a Canoo too..

 

[REMUB40]

Meanwhile, more than a hundred thousand (reports vary from 174,000 to 300,000+) ICE vehicles catch fire each year just in the USA, many of those in garages.

I would imagine that the EV fires are more intense and harder to put out. Not against them, just not for me.

 

[Maverickman74]

I had a friend with a deposit on a Canoo too..

I invested a little when it was pennies. Then it became less than pennies.

 

[Leuf]

Somewhat encouraging:

"Tesla’s original co-founders aren’t just supporting this project from the sidelines. Eberhard and Tarpenning are actively investing and advising Telo Trucks, marking the first time they’ve backed an EV rival since parting ways with Musk’s empire."

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

[710-oil-614]

Somewhat encouraging:

"Tesla’s original co-founders aren’t just supporting this project from the sidelines. Eberhard and Tarpenning are actively investing and advising Telo Trucks, marking the first time they’ve backed an EV rival since parting ways with Musk’s empire."

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Nothing encouraging about that.

 

[Jonny44]

Looks a lot like the Pak Yak Pro. Whistlin Diesel has some fun with it!

 

[Scott Asheville]

I would imagine that the EV fires are more intense and harder to put out. Not against them, just not for me.

You are 100% right. They can be nightmares to put out. Most of the analysts expect the BEV market won't really rule until the next generation of solid state batteries arrive.

Fires in batteries are complicated. Some chemistries are safer than others. Some are literally fireproof. But getting the "1,000 mile batteries that don't burn and cost less than ICE and charge in 5 minutes" into our hands is probably next decade (according to the battery insiders).

That long wait bums me out as a BEV fanboy. But there are BEV fanboys totally disassociated from reality and those of us who still maintain at least a tenuous connection.

 

[atomguy245]

Just watched the Jay Leno's Garage video on this. Telo has only spent a few million over 3 years to go from a sketch to a drivable prototype. And they only have 11 people. Seems like a very lean operation.

Sponsored