It’s weird, it’s small, and it’s unconventional, but the Telo electric pickup also seems plenty capable. How capable? This EV startup’s very efficient pickup recently received a higher tow rating, one that will let it pull all kinds of things you wouldn’t expect. We’re talking boats, large travel trailers, and more. Telo has even put it through the same SAE tow test that Ford, Chevrolet, and Ram gas trucks – full-size trucks – go through.
Telo’s new tow rating places it above a midsize Toyota Tacoma, and it even tops lower-spec versions of the full-size Ford F-150.
Tow Rating Comes In Way Higher Than Expected
Telo TowingTelo
The startup’s original goal for the pickup was to tow 6,000 pounds. That’s on par with most midsize gas trucks, but it wasn’t quite enough. CEO and founder Forest North says he tows a camper of his own, normally behind a diesel-powered SUV, and he wanted the Telo to be able to do the same.
“Now that we’re further into [the project], we have towed a bunch of things,” North said. “We understand towing and what this vehicle can do.” As a result, it has raised the tow rating from 6,600 to 8,000 pounds.
“We feel confident in that,” North said. Importantly, it puts it above even the best gas midsize pickups. It also lets the truck tow newer trailers like the Pebble Flow, a trailer that has its own battery, motor, and regenerative braking for enhanced range when towing with an electric truck.
The biggest challenges for towing in a gas or diesel truck are stopping and going. Long downhill stretches can heat-soak brakes and increase stopping distances, while long hills can do the same to the cooling systems of the engine and transmission.
Telo, like other electric vehicles, addresses the first with high levels of regenerative braking. “We can regen for miles and miles and miles going down a pass, you’re not touching your brakes,” North said. That’s good for the brakes and for electric range once you’re at the bottom.
It handles hills with the massive torque of an electric motor. “It is incredible to be on a hill as steep as you can go and you can just jet forward,” North said.
Can It Replace Your Gas Or Diesel Tow Beast?
2026 Telo MT1 rear quarterTelo Trucks
Refreshingly, North acknowledges the one big issue with electric trucks. He calls the Telo “an amazing tow vehicle for shorter distances.” The pickup can tow just fine if you’re okay with charging a few times in a full-day drive, but “at long range, a big diesel truck is probably going to be better for the near term.”
Without a trailer, Telo predicts 349 miles of range for the MT1, but we estimate that could drop to around 200 with a large, flat-fronted travel trailer behind it. Uncoupled from a trailer, it can do zero to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds, and has a max payload of 1,700 pounds in AWD form. The standard range model has an estimated range of 260 miles.
Telo’s simple truck also includes a midgate that expands the five-foot box into one that can hold a 4×8 sheet with the tailgate up. Buyers can also add a third row of seats in the bed, for eight-passenger seating.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
2026 Telo MT1 overhead showing utilityTelo Trucks
A towing capability of 8,000 pounds is a huge number for a truck about the physical size of a two-door Mini. Ford’s F-150 Lightning topped out at 5,000 pounds with the standard battery and 7,700 with the extended-range, unless you opted for the Max Tow package.
But capacity was never the issue for Ford and GM electric trucks. This tiny pickup will win hearts for its small size if it makes it to market, but we’re not sure how many buyers actually plan to tow like this. On the other hand, it’s nice to know they can.
Telo is looking to start production of the MT1 later this year, with customer delivery timelines updated once production starts.
