San Francisco's tiny truck EV promises to equal the Toyota Tacoma despite its miniature size

This tiny EV truck from San Francisco, the Telo MT1, promises to equal legends of the game like the Toyota Tacoma, despite being a clear underdog due to its miniature size.

As far as the pickup genre goes, Ford has ruled with an iron F-ist.

But little new San Fran startup Telo has its eyes set on unseating some of the models in the popularity table, starting with the Toyota Tacoma.

The tiny EV truck is a pocket-sized Tacoma rival, and the numbers stack the deck in what could be a David vs Goliath battle.

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Telo MT1 aims to be a pocket-sized Toyota Tacoma

The Telo MT1 was revealed earlier this year, and its snack-bag size and price have already raised eyebrows.

Undercutting even the most modest rivals by around $10k, the tiny EV truck has been given the seal of approval by Jay Leno and has stolen American hearts by showing off a feature that disables AWD and allows for drifting.

Ahead of its release, it’s clear that the Toyota Tacoma is the main rival, even drawing a size comparison on its website.

Size isn’t everything, though, as the tiny EV truck boasts more HP (500 versus 278) than the Tacoma.

In terms of towing capacity, Telo wins again, with its 6,600lbs inching out over the Toyota’s 6,500 maximum.

And the range of 350miles is impressive for such a compact pickup.

How far can the tiny EV truck go?

The Ford F-Series lost out as the country’s best-selling vehicle earlier this year.

Japanese imports from Toyota have proved to be too hot to handle, as the RAV4 is now the leading force across the board.

But it has remained the prince of pickups, holding off the Chevy Silverado, RAM, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tacoma, which make up the rest of the top five most popular pickups this year.

However, there’s clearly a shift afoot, as the EV movement continues to gather pace. Ford has shown itself to be slow to react here, opening the door to Chevrolet.

So, as a need for electric pickups comes into play, it could be opportune for the Telo MT1 to strike while the iron is buzzing.

It won’t be plain sailing, though. Of course, the size of the Telo MT1 might put off a lot of buyers who prefer a sense of dominance on the road over practicality.

And, the big dogs aren’t lying down without a fight.

Jim Farley’s acceptance of the wave and his idea to fend off Chinese rivals highlight Ford’s direction.

Toyota is lining up new EVs, too, and there’s a clear shift in size.

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