“Mighty Mite” Electric Truck Gets Solar Power Makeover

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

---

The new MT1 compact electric truck from TELO Trucks hasn’t even hit the market and it’s already getting a solar makeover. Fans of the tiny but functional pickup can pre-order theirs with solar panels on the cab roof and tonneau cover for extended driving range. A camper shell reaching from the cab to the truck bed is also available for additional generating capacity, too.

Aptera and TELO Join Forces To Solarize Tiny Electric Truck

If you’re guessing the US startup Aptera is supplying the solar technology for the new TELO electric truck, that’s a good guess. Aptera has been crossing the CleanTechnica radar on a regular basis as it works its way towards producing its own solarized electric vehicle, the eponymous Aptera aerodynamic autocycle plastered with solar panels (see lots more solarized autocycle background here).

Aptera has experienced a series of ups and downs over the years. The company finally put on a head of steam last year, just in time to catch the emerging autocycle trend. Autocycles are three-wheeled vehicles defined by a steering wheel and a front facing seat, so no need for a motorcycle license. Gas-powered versions are catching on among hot-rodders here in the US. Overseas, more functionally-oriented  three-wheelers are appearing in electric truck fleets as well.

Aptera’s hookup with the US electric truck startup TELO is of a piece with another solarized EV maker familiar to regular readers of CleanTechnica, the Dutch firm Lightyear. That company recently gave up on the idea of producing its own car and recast itself as a supplier of EV-embedded solar technology to other automakers. Aptera has apparently decided that it can do both things at once.

Solar Panels Are Perfect For Electric Trucks

Though it remains to be seen if TELO and Aptera have cracked the cost-vs-reward code for solar-embedded car parts, the flat cab roofs of electric trucks are more amenable to solar panels than the curved shapes that characterize most electric cars, and the solarized tonneau cover is an area that aftermarket automotive suppliers are already exploiting.

Additionally, pickup trucks are extremely popular here in the US, with a customer base ranging far beyond drivers who actually need open-air rear storage in their everyday vehicle. That explains why Tesla chose to market its Cybertruck electric truck as a pickup, and not a…well, whatever it is, the Cybertruck failed to meet sales expectations after it launched in November of 2023 but it still turned in a healthy record relative to other electric pickups on the market.

TELO co-founder and CEO Jason Marks explains that the MT1 is also casting a wide net for prospective customers. In a press statement posted by Aptera last week, he listed drivers seeking a “commuter vehicle, a safer, more sustainable option to serve their family’s needs, a rugged, dependable pickup truck for outdoor adventuring, or a highly-functional fleet [and] vehicle that increases their business’s efficiency” among potential buyers.

Interested? TELO set the reservation price of the MT1 at $152.00 to emphasize the compact length of the vehicle. The company expects to open up pre-orders for the solar options later this year at telotrucks.com.

For the record, Aptera notes that its solar panels can deliver 1-2 kilowatt-hours per day, depending on seasonal variations and the location of the vehicle. “TELO vehicles consume just 200-300 Wh/mi, significantly reducing energy needs and extending range with solar options,” Aptera adds.

TELO states that the MT1 delivers a range of  350 miles, even without the panels. With solar panels, doing the math …on second thought, let’s skip the math. At 350 miles, the MT1 is already suitable for long drives as well as urban hopscotching. The solar panels add an extra degree of flexibility along with the convenience of not having to visit a charging station as often, and the potential for saving money on charging costs as well.

How TELO Expects To Beat The Electric Truck Competition

Wide net or not, TELO has its work cut out for it. Demand for the Cybertruck seemed to be withering away towards the end of last year in terms of new sales, but Cyber-curious electric truck fans could satisfy their Cyber-urges in the used electric vehicle market instead of investing in a new vehicle from another EV maker.

Competition from legacy automakers is another factor. However, Ford, GM, and Stellantis have been been focusing on the market for larger electric pickups, which could create an opening for a pint sized 152-inch truck that sports a 60″ bed (the size of a Toyota Tacoma) and slides into a standard urban parking spot as easily as a Mini Cooper SE.

In contrast to the bigger-is-better pickup truck asthetic, TELO draws its inspiration from the up-and-coming trend “kei car” trend. “Mini pickup trucks that conform to Japan’s strict kei-jidōsha standards have become a hot item among auto buyers here in the US,” CleanTechnica noted last June.

Of course, some tweaks are in order to accommodate the tastes of the US car buying public. Kei-conforming trucks are limited to 132 inches long and seating for four, while TELO states that the MT1 can carry five.

For fleet managers aiming to present a green face to the public, supersized electric pickups are also at a disadvantage in terms of brand reputation. A large electric truck drags a large supply chain behind it, just like any other vehicle. Fleet managers looking for new opportunities to build their green brand would create a better impression by downsizing to a smaller but still-functional pickup.

“Trucks are too big, not just because people want big trucks, but also because of a misinterpretation of government regulation by automakers,” emphasizes TELO investor Neo. “This resulted in trucks nearly doubling in size over the last 15 years, all-time highs in pedestrian fatalities, and trucks now contributing 10.5% of all US carbon emissions. The only way to shrink the mobility footprint is to rethink the form and function of the trucks.”

A Sprinkle Of Tesla Pixie Dust Can’t Hurt, Either

To further cement its footprint in the electric truck market, TELO has been working with the legendary California firm Aria Group to build its fully drive-able prototypes. Aria lists Honda, Toyota, Ford, GM, Paramount, Northrop Grumman, and Tesla among its list of clients.

Speaking of Tesla, last spring TELO also availed itself of the opportunity to cross paths with the iconic US startup by enlisting one of the two original Tesla Motors co-founders, Marc Tarpenning, to sit on its board of directors (Martin Eberhard is the other original Tesla co-founder).

Tarpenning joined the investor group Spero Ventures as a partner in 2019. The firm was launched by Ebay founder Pierre Omidyar with a start-up mission front and center, and Tarpenning has plenty to say about that.

“With Tesla, we showed that electric cars can be fun and zippy, with faster acceleration than any gas-powered car can offer,” Tarpenning writes on the Spero website.

“Tesla got people to buy into electric cars by proving that sustainability doesn’t have to mean settling for less — in fact, it could be a major upgrade over what was there before…New solutions have to be significantly better than the easy, unhealthy alternative. They also need to be cheaper. When you get to that point, incumbents don’t have a chance,” he adds.

That pretty much tracks with the MT1 aesthetic and price point, reported at the lower end of the $40,000 range. As for those incumbents, that could just as easily include the Tesla Cybertruck. If you have any thoughts about that, drop a note in the comment thread.

Follow me via LinkTree, or @tinamcasey on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

Photo (cropped): The forthcoming TELO MT1 compact electric truck can be ordered with built-in solar panels for extra driving range, flexibility, and convenience (courtesy of TELO Trucks via Aptera).