This $41K Tiny American Electric Pickup Wants To Charge Like A Six-Figure EV

You've probably heard of Slate Auto, the Troy, Michigan-based EV startup that's gearing up for the launch of its first model, a $25,000 compact electric pickup truck.

But there's another, less-known EV startup called Telo Trucks that's working on an even smaller truck, the Mini Cooper-sized MT1 electric pickup. This project is quite intriguing as the company headquartered in San Carlos, California claims the MT1 will be the world's most efficient pickup despite having 5 seats and a Toyota Tacoma-like 5-foot bed.

While the Slate Truck is a budget-oriented model, the Telo MT1 will be significantly more expensive when (and if) it reaches the market. The targeted starting MSRP of $41,520 is reflected in the electric powertrain, which is significantly more sophisticated than the Slate Truck's basic layout.

It Packs Two 400V Batteries That Can Also Run At 800 Volts

We now learn that the battery pack is way more advanced than previously thought, as Telo Trucks confirmed via a YouTube video update by its CTO Forrest North that the MT1 electric pickup will charge at a rate of 400 kW, which is similar to luxury EVs costing two to three times as much.

What's really impressive is that the 400kW charging rate is sustained, not just a brief peak that lasts seconds. A big part of that is due to the battery's clever split-pack architecture with a dual 400V/800V setup. This is designed to maximize performance on any fast charger, including the most common 400V fast chargers and the latest 800V high-voltage stations.

Basically, Telo Trucks will use two 400V battery packs that can operate in parallel at 400 volts or switch to series configuration for ultra-fast 800V charging when available. The company did not say how fast the MT1 will charge at 400V stations, though.

According to North, the split-pack approach was a deliberate decision aimed at giving customers the best of both worlds, although he admitted that it's "a big packaging challenge" given the MT1's small footprint (it's only 152 inches long, about the same length as a electric Mini Cooper). Telo claims the MT1 has "one of the most dense series to parallel high voltage packs that exists."

Only Two Luxury EVs Offer 400 kW Peak Charging In The U.S.

There are few EVs in the U.S. currently capable of 400 kW charging, but for all of them that's the peak charging rate, not one they can sustain for most of the charging session. The Lucid Gravity, for example, has a peak charging rate of 400 kW that lasts for about 90 seconds before tapering linearly, as Electrek points out. BMW's new iX3 also peaks at 400 kW, but it can't hold that rate for a sustained period.

"In the past we've seen some vehicles be able to charge at a very high charge rate but only for a few seconds," North says in the video. "We know that that doesn't fool anybody; we know it's about sustained charge. That's what brings the actual charge time down."

If the Telo MT1 makes the 400kW claim a reality, it will be a pretty big deal, especially for a vehicle that starts at around $41,500. The company targets a production start in late 2026 and high-volume production scaling in 2027. The startup recently announced Schwab Industries as its body manufacturing partner and a $30 million founding round.

We'll have to wait and see if that is enough to bring the MT1 to production.

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This story was originally published June 28, 2026 at 10:15 AM.