A new contender is stepping into the electric ute space, and it’s taking a radically different approach.
Meet the Telo MT1 - a compact, five-seat electric truck with the utility of a traditional ute but packed into the footprint of a Mini Cooper.
With production set for next year, the MT1 challenges the oversized trucks that dominate the market by offering a city-friendly alternative without sacrificing capability.
Ingenious design maximises space
The key to Telo’s space efficiency lies in its strategic use of the H-point - the hip position of the driver and passengers, which dictates cabin ergonomics.
According to Jason Marks, Telo’s co-founder and CEO, the goal was to match the interior volume of a Toyota Tacoma crew cab while maintaining a much smaller exterior size. “A lot of the special sauce as to how we get five people and a 5-foot bed into the footprint of a two-door Mini Cooper is packaging, and people are the most important part,” Marks explained to Fast Company.
The truck’s exterior is a product of this innovative design approach. A short, frunkless front end and an expandable truck bed allow the MT1 to retain utility while remaining nimble in urban settings.
A folding midgate extends the cargo area into the cabin, making room for larger loads, including 4-by-8-foot sheets of plywood - an essential capability for tradespeople and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
Pedestal seating for more interior room
Inside, Telo optimises space by raising the front seats on pedestal mounts, eliminating the traditional twin mounting rails that typically limit legroom. This design creates additional foot space for rear passengers, improving comfort without enlarging the truck’s footprint. “The way that we built the front seats, it’s almost like they’re hovering in the air,” Marks says. “It lets you actually occupy less horizontal room, even though you occupy more vertical room.”
The placement of the front seats near the nose of the truck recalls the driving experience of classic vehicles like the Volkswagen Bus. Co-founder and CFO Forrest North notes that this setup enhances visibility and manoeuvrability in tight spaces. “You know exactly where the front of the vehicle is. Parking and moving around in urban areas is much easier,” he says.
Safety and storage innovations
Despite its compact size, the MT1 meets safety requirements with carefully integrated crumple zones, a robust firewall and strategically placed impact structures.
The pedestal-mounted seats also contribute to safety by allowing more efficient use of interior space without compromising crashworthiness.
Storage is another area where Telo has prioritised efficiency. The MT1 features dual compact glove boxes, a streamlined centre console, retractable cupholders and dedicated compartments for smaller items like sunglasses.
Industrial designer Yves Behar, whose company Fuseproject led the design, emphasises that these features enhance usability without adding unnecessary bulk. “It’s actually a lot of storage, but it feels more dedicated rather than just a big bin that you put all your random stuff in,” he says.
Battery integration and efficiency
A key component shaping the MT1’s design is its battery placement. North, who previously worked on the Tesla Roadster’s battery, highlights that minimising battery thickness was crucial to maintaining aerodynamics and interior space. “You want to reduce any millimetre you can from your roofline,” he says, underlining the importance of efficiency in such a compact vehicle.
Rethinking what a ute should be
For Telo, the focus isn’t on making a bigger truck - it’s on making a smarter one. Behar critiques the trend of oversized, hyper-masculine utes, arguing that they have become less practical and more dangerous. “What I think pickup trucks have really embraced in the past 20-plus years is this notion of massiveness and masculinity and silly bigness,” he says.
The MT1 flips that narrative, offering an electric ute that prioritises practicality and efficiency while maintaining real-world usability.
With its compact size, smart design and urban-friendly manoeuvrability, Telo's MT1 is poised to disrupt the traditional ute market.
