- The Telo MT1 electric mini truck will be available with solar panels
- Solar panels will add 1-2 kwh of power to the battery per day
- Aptera, which has not yet introduced its electric wheels, will offer solar panels
The Telo MT1 electric mini truck will be able to recover some range from the sun thanks to the solar panels provided by another hopeful electric vehicle: the Aptera.
Telo on Wednesday announced plans to offer Solar panels are supplied by Aptera in three kits. These include a paneled roof option with the cab, a solar tonneau cover, and a solar camper shell. The panels can produce up to 200 watts in bright sunlightit adds 1-2 kwh of battery charge per day, according to Telo.
This should help improve the efficiency of what California-based Telo already claims to be the most efficient electric truck in the world.
Launched in 2023, the MT1 also compares current electric pickups to compact sizes. At just 152 inches long, it's about the same length as the outgoing Mini Cooper SE two-door.
Telo electric truck with solar panels from Aptera
Telo insists that the MT1 is not a toy truck, however. It offers seating for five adults and a 60-inch bed with a center gate to accommodate longer items—including a 4×8 sheet of plywood or a 9-foot surfboard. Telo also directed upwards 350 miles wide with the optional Long Range package and 6,600 horsepower with an optional 500-hp dual-motor powertrain. The Standard pack and base single-motor-wheel drive powertrain deliver 260 mph and 300 hp, respectively.
The solar panels will be available for pre-order later this year, but Telo is now accepting pre-orders for the truck itself for $152. Pricing is set at $41,250 for the single-car version and $46,019 for the two-car version, and $3,980 for the larger battery pack. Telo said a prototype truck is currently being built, but has not said when it expects to start making deliveries to customers.
Aptera said the integrated solar panels would reduce the need to charge its high-efficiency three-wheeled EV, but it has been difficult to get the vehicle into production. After announcing a 400-mile Launch Edition model in 2023, Aptera confirmed in October 2024 that it had just finished the first car intended for production, taking a step closer to an actual car for sale but still not quite there.