Name: TELO MT1
Brand: Electric Truck Startup

Delivery Risk: Medium - First deliveries targeted late 2026

Prototype Status: Pre-production prototypes driving, press drives completed

Funding: $27.8M raised total, $20M Series A (Sep 2025)

⚠️ Timeline Alert: Telo partnered with Schwab Industries (Jun 2026) to produce the MT1's body-in-white structure — a key production milestone. First ~500 units planned via US bay-build process. Certification, final tooling, and additional manufacturing partnerships in progress. Deliveries targeted late 2026.

Key Specifications

Range

260-350 miles

Price

$41,520

Length

152 inches

Battery

106 kWh

Horsepower

300-500 hp

0-60 mph

~4 seconds

Bed Length

60 inches

Payload

1,700-2,000 lbs

Towing

6,600 lbs

Seating

5 passengers

Perfect For / Not Great For

Ideal Use Cases

Urban Driving & Parking

★★★★★ Mini Cooper footprint fits in tight city streets and compact parking spots

Weekend Adventures

★★★★☆ 350-mile long range option and 5-foot bed with midgate for longer gear

Work Truck / Hauling

★★★★★ 2,000 lb payload (RWD) and 6,600 lb towing — midsize truck capability in a compact package

Not Recommended For

Towing

★★★★☆ 6,600 lbs towing capacity — impressive for a truck this size, competitive with midsize pickups

Large Family Daily Driver

★★☆☆☆ Compact interior - seats 5 but snug in the back

Company Health & Production Status

Production Progress: Schwab Industries partnership secured (Jun 2026) for body-in-white production. First ~500 units to be bay-built in the US. Crash certification and safety testing underway. Pre-production prototypes driving, press reviews completed.

Overall Progress: 75% - Body-in-white manufacturer locked in, certification underway

Metric	Status	Risk Level
Prototype Testing	✅ Pre-production prototypes driving	🟢 Low
Manufacturing	✅ Schwab Industries partnership for body-in-white (Jun 2026)	🟢 Low
Funding Status	✅ $27.8M raised ($20M Series A, Sep 2025)	🟢 Low
Crash / Safety Testing	⏳ In progress, homologation expected early 2026	🟡 Medium
Pre-orders	✅ 12,000+ ($600M+ in indicated demand)	🟢 Low

Manufacturer Website

Visit Official Website

Pricing Breakdown

Trim	Price
MT1 Standard Range (260 mi)	$41,520
MT1 Long Range (350 mi)	$45,500
MT1 Dual Motor (500 hp)	$49,999

Note: Federal EV tax credit ($7,500) was eliminated as of Sep 30, 2025 via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Prices shown are before any remaining state/local incentives. Solar panel add-ons via Aptera partnership available at additional cost.

The Reality Check

What's Going Right:

Schwab Industries partnership secured for body-in-white production (Jun 2026)
Two pre-production prototypes built and driving
Press first-drives generated positive reviews (MotorTrend, TFLtruck, etc.)
$20M Series A raised (oversubscribed) in Sep 2025
12,000+ pre-orders representing $600M+ in demand
Innovative midgate design extends bed for longer cargo
Designed by Yves Behar / Fuseproject
Aptera solar panel integration partnership announced
Competitive pricing starting at $41,520

Red Flags:

No customer deliveries yet - first expected late 2026
Crash testing and homologation still in progress
Mass manufacturing scale-up is unproven (Schwab partnership helps but still early)
Compact flat-front design raises pedestrian safety questions
Startup in a market that has claimed many (see: Canoo, Lordstown, Neuron)

Timeline & Milestones

2026-06

Schwab Industries Manufacturing Partnership
Telo partners with Schwab Industries to produce the MT1's body-in-white structure. First ~500 vehicles to be bay-built in the US. Certification activities, final production tooling, and additional manufacturing announcements in progress.

2026

First Customer Deliveries (Planned)
~500 initial units targeted for high-deposit customers and fleet buyers in late 2026. Mass production scaling to 10,000 units planned.

2025-10

MotorTrend First Drive
MotorTrend publishes first drive review of the 500-hp dual-motor prototype, calling it ambitious and surprisingly capable.

2025-09

$20M Series A Raised
Telo closes oversubscribed $20M Series A funding round. Total raised reaches $27.8M. Pre-orders surpass 12,000, representing $600M+ in indicated demand.

2025-03

Pre-Production Prototype Unveiled
Telo unveils fully-realized pre-production MT1 with finished interior designed by Yves Behar and Fuseproject. Features biodegradable cork interior surfaces. First press rides begin.

2025-01

Aptera Solar Panel Partnership
Telo partners with Aptera Motors to offer integrated solar panel options: cab top, tonneau bed cover, and camper top configurations generating up to 200W each.

2024-12

Pricing & Configurator Launch
Official pricing announced starting at $41,520. Online configurator goes live. ~3,700 reservations reported at this time.

2024-03

Series A Funding ($5.4M)
Telo raises $5.4M Series A led by Neo, bringing total funding to ~$7.2M at that time.

2023-06

Seed Funding & Pre-Orders Open
Telo closes $1.78M seed round. Pre-orders open with a $152 refundable deposit (one dollar per inch of the truck's length).

2022

Company Founded & MT1 Concept Revealed
Telo Trucks founded by Jason Marks (CEO), Forrest North (CTO), and Yves Behar (CCO). MT1 concept publicly revealed as a Mini Cooper-sized electric pickup with full-size truck capability.

🔮 Bottom Line

The Telo MT1 is one of the most compelling concepts in the small electric truck space - a Mini Cooper-sized pickup with a 5-foot bed, up to 500 hp, and 350 miles of range. The pre-production prototypes are driving, press reviews have been positive, and the $20M funding round shows real investor confidence.

Telo has made impressive progress for a startup: 12,000+ pre-orders, a celebrity industrial designer co-founder in Yves Behar, positive press from outlets like MotorTrend, and a partnership with Aptera for solar integration. The funding trajectory and demand signals are encouraging.

Our Recommendation: The $152 refundable deposit remains low-risk if the concept excites you. Telo has more momentum than many EV startups at this stage, but the hard part - crash certification, mass manufacturing, and actual deliveries - is still ahead. First customer trucks are targeted for late 2026. Keep an eye on their progress, but don't sell your current vehicle just yet.

📰 Related News

Telo Locks In Manufacturing Partner: Schwab Industries to Build MT1 Body-in-White

Telo secures a manufacturing partnership with Schwab Industries for the MT1's body-in-white structure, a key step toward its late 2026 production target.

Published on June 16, 2026

Telo Raises $20M Series A, Surpasses 12,000 Pre-Orders

The Mini Cooper-sized electric truck startup closes an oversubscribed funding round as demand accelerates.

Published on September 22, 2025