Tesla’s Founders Are Backing The Anti-Cybertruck

Key Points:

• TELO, an EV startup founded by two original Tesla founders, is launching the MT1, a small, whimsical electric truck priced from $41,520, designed as an alternative to Tesla's Cybertruck with a playful, anime-inspired aesthetic.
• The company plans a low-volume initial production of 500 units, scaling to 5,000 vehicles per year, following Tesla’s early strategy of starting small and building gradually to profitability.
• TELO has raised about $27 million so far, with backing from Tesla cofounders Marc Tarpenning and Martin Eberhard, and is outsourcing production to Michigan-based Schwab Industries while assembling key components in California.
• The MT1 will be available in two battery ranges: a base 260-mile version and a $45,500 long-range 350-mile model, with a higher-performance variant costing around $50,000; TELO aims to ship the first vehicles by late 2026 or early 2027.
• TELO founders express disappointment with Tesla’s current direction and lost EV market dominance, criticizing the Cybertruck design, and believe there is room for new EV niches focused on fun, unique products rather than competing directly with established models.