Telo EV Pickup Truck first look: 5 seats, 5 foot bed, 350 miles range, 0-60 in 4 seconds, size of Mini Cooper ?

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I'd be more concerned with the Telo submarining under the opposing vehicle's rear bumper (or even front bumper) until it impacts something substantial at it's own level. In that case your face will be impacting the tailgate of the opposing vehicle point blank.

Yup. Much unknown still. Just saying it could be safer than it looks.

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[SwampNut]

until it impacts something substantial

Not that I know it would solve the problem, but it's well known that A-pillars have become far stronger in the last decade or so. With a negative consequence of becoming a much larger blind spot, and sometimes, people crash because they don't account for that.

 

[Rade]

A cute design or a death wish, you decide.

Jury is still out... Just not ready for a "launch edition" of anything. We'll see what real-world experience tells us about the Telo once they get through the first 1000 production models and we see what the IHSS crash tests reveal.

Our other EV is a Tesla Model Y (Juniper) with almost 13k miles on it. Not... one... issue. None. No "Reboot to clear", no obscure warning lights. Nothing. To quote Erik Dyson, "It. Just. Works."

In the past three weeks, I have had a few instances where the UHF would not activate on roads that it normally worked on. Dry, daylight, clean roads, R1T, other than a little dusty here and there, clean. I had to do the hard reboot to get the function to come back. Apple Music is another; now it just... stops... in mid-song, and the left thumb-wheel has no impact; I have to reach across the center console to hit the Play button again. So it's... nits. Annoying technical nits.

 

[DaveA]

800v charging so you only have to endure 25 mins of laughter from fellow citizens charging next to you instead of 45 mins.

 

[iansriv]

I was so ready to get one (j/k) until I saw one very important option left out:

Toilet option

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I was so ready to get one (j/k) until I saw one very important option left out:

Toilet option

New meaning for “your car stinks”?

 

[CharonPDX]

800v charging so you only have to endure 25 mins of laughter from fellow citizens charging next to you instead of 45 mins.

That 400kW charging is looking mighty nice for towing. Especially if the charge curve is good, as they claim it should be. Maybe 15 minutes to do 10-80%?

 

[RivianCurious]

Have they actually submitted production models to IIHS for full crash testing validation?

Imagine a Telo hitting a R1S head on or frontal offset.. at any speed

So, should I get a bigger vehicle than the R1S? A new arms race.

 

[NY_Rob]

So, should I get a bigger vehicle than the R1S? A new arms race.

I don't think you'll have anything to worry about....

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

So, should I get a bigger vehicle than the R1S? A new arms race.

Small cars aren't automatically unsafe. It's all down to engineering and how much property damage (repairable or total loss). On engineering, it's self-evident if you visit a local salvage yard. Some brands/models fare a lot better than others of similar size. I have seen carcasses of Minis where the passenger compartment is completely unaffected. As for extent of property damage, that's very nuanced and bigger isn't always better. As we know, the R1 can be written-off by insurance for damage that is fixable.

And the R2 not having knee-level airbags, in absence of a IIHS report, some people are already jumping to conclusions that it is less safe than the R1. There's no proof of it. It may just be due to the fact that it is smaller and designed so that there isn't a cross brace that is close enough to knees to need it.

 

[SASSquatch]

They have gone to great lengths to engineer a front crumple zone that they claim will pass regulations.

I find your use of the expression "great lengths" amusing considering that thing looks like a matchbox truck.

Unless they have discovered ways to incorporate antimatter, I don't see a crumple zone, unless your legs are the crumple zone.

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[Zathras]

Small cars aren't automatically unsafe. It's all down to engineering and how much property damage (repairable or total loss). On engineering, it's self-evident if you visit a local salvage yard. Some brands/models fare a lot better than others of similar size. I have seen carcasses of Minis where the passenger compartment is completely unaffected. As for extent of property damage, that's very nuanced and bigger isn't always better. As we know, the R1 can be written-off by insurance for damage that is fixable.

And the R2 not having knee-level airbags, in absence of a IIHS report, some people are already jumping to conclusions that it is less safe than the R1. There's no proof of it. It may just be due to the fact that it is smaller and designed so that there isn't a cross brace that is close enough to knees to need it.

Absolutely. The Aptera is a very small vehicle (classified as a motorcycle) and it's very safe. It just d depends on how good the bones of the vehicle prove to be.

There is no way this thing would make me buy one (except the orange color, but that's hardly enough) and skip getting an R2 Performance for only about $5,000 more. Cute, but not compelling.

And their marketing speak makes me think this is Silicon Valley blowing smoke.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Absolutely. The Aptera is a very small vehicle (classified as a motorcycle) and it's very safe. It just d depends on how good the bones of the vehicle prove to be.

There is no way this thing would make me buy one (except the orange color, but that's hardly enough) and skip getting an R2 Performance for only about $5,000 more. Cute, but not compelling.

And their marketing speak makes me think this is Silicon Valley blowing smoke.

It’s clearly targeting city dwellers who have limited parking space and less total range requirements, where high speed and highway transit is not part of regular routine.

 

[CharonPDX]

I find your use of the expression "great lengths" amusing considering that thing looks like a matchbox truck.

Unless they have discovered ways to incorporate antimatter, I don't see a crumple zone, unless your legs are the crumple zone.

I'll believe it when I see it.

The crumple zone doesn't have to be entirely in front of the cabin. As long as the vehicle absorbs impact, it doesn't matter if it compresses bits beside or even behind the driver, as long as the front doesn't intrude on the driver.

ID.Buzz has "Good" IIHS offset-front rating, in spite of barely compressing the front at all:

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

The crumple zone doesn't have to be entirely in front of the cabin. As long as the vehicle absorbs impact, it doesn't matter if it compresses bits beside or even behind the driver, as long as the front doesn't intrude on the driver.

ID.Buzz has "Good" IIHS offset-front rating, in spite of barely compressing the front at all:

Yup. If a crumple zone has to be much more in a small car, then something about the engineering is lacking. 12”~14” is all that’s needed. The goal is to have enough give, soak up the energy, so that the passenger compartment/cage remains intact. AFAIK, Telo has already done the testing. They just need Fed certification.

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