Telo trucks has made some big promises. Its upcoming MT1 electric mini truck is supposed to deliver up to 350 miles of range, 8,000 pounds of towing capacity, 500 horsepower, ultra-fast 800V charging, and a five-foot truck bed in a footprint no longer than a two-door Mini Cooper.

But as America's graveyard of EV startups grows, is Telo prepared to go the distance? I interviewed two of the company's founders to find out.

Both CEO Jason Marks and CTO Forrest North say that the company's first product is almost ready to launch. But both are also honest that high-volume production isn't the immediate goal.

Telo says the MT1 will tow up to 8,000 pounds, which is more than any Toyota Tacoma or Ford Ranger can pull. It'll also have better payload capacity than existing midsize trucks and—with the help of a folding mid-gate—room to fit 8-foot-long items.

"We're not looking at going to 100,000 units in year one," Marks told me. "We're looking to get to 500 units on year one, 5,000 units on year two, and only once we establish that can we really go mass market and scale."

Marks likens the approach to Tesla, which launched with the low-volume Roadster before building the more mass-market Model S. The company made fewer than 2,500 Roadsters between 2008 and 2012. Telo wants to run the same playbook, which should come as no surprise given that Tesla co-founders Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning are investors in Telo.

The company says production of the MT1 will start this year, but don't expect a massive outpouring of cars.

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