A Beefed-Up Golf Cart And An Anti-Cybertruck: Cheap, Quirky EVs Are Coming

U.S. sales of electric vehicles have plunged since the Trump administration killed a $7,500 federal credit last year, but a group of startups hopes to change that. They’re preparing to launch a new wave of quirky, affordable battery-powered models over the next year that are distinctly different from anything Tesla or other big automakers offer.

The newest is a small, inexpensive “life utility vehicle” from Miami-based Chip, which starts taking reservations today. It only has a top speed of 25 miles per hour, and is intended as a secondary vehicle designed to handle daily shopping trips, school runs and short commutes. It’s available in four- and six-seat versions, with a $15,000 base price. Though essentially a beefed-up golf cart resembling a small jeep it has far more safety features, including higher ground clearance, a roll bar and flat LFP battery pack along the floor to protect occupants. It also has multiple cameras and radar to monitor traffic conditions.

The vehicle’s range is 100 miles per charge, which can be done with a standard 110-volt wall outlet, though a 240-volt socket will repower it less than half the time.

Founder and CEO Jameson Detweiler said he plans to add autonomous driving features, such as self-parking and the ability to drop off and pick up passengers or make grocery runs on its own, but did not provide a timeline. There’s already a $6 billion U.S. market for electric golf carts, including those used on public roads in coastal, suburban and retirement communities, but Detweiler says a product with more technology, safety and rider comfort is needed.

“I like to say golf carts have escaped the golf communities, and the biggest growth sector has really been young families in these kinds of edge urban and suburban markets,” he told Forbes. “But golf carts are also fundamentally unsafe. … So I decided really what we needed to do is create a best in class, category defining vehicle with a direct to consumer and direct to business sales model.”

Initial deliveries of electric Chips, which feature LED lighting in the front grille that give the vehicles a kind of grin, begin in early 2027, and initial testing of vehicles with autonomous features will begin in Florida at about the same time.

Through the first half of 2026, U.S. EV sales diverged sharply from the global trend, falling about 20%, according to Cox Automotive. By contrast, worldwide sales of battery-powered models increased 2%, with big surges in Europe and in markets outside of North America and China, according to Benchmark Minerals Intelligence. A key reason for the U.S. plunge is the loss of the federal tax credit as well as the higher price point for the average new EV, which Cox puts at about $55,000 currently, $5,000 more than overall industry average.

That’s a reason Chip sees an opening for a different type of EV, but it’s hardly the only one. TELO, a Silicon Valley startup, thinks another way to attract new buyers to the segment is with a small pickup that looks like it was dreamed up by designers from Lego and IKEA.

The company’s MT1 mini truck, about the size of BMW’s MINI Cooper, looks like the cute offspring of a Cybertruck, with simple geometry but none of the bulky Tesla’s brutalist menace. Priced from $41,500, the TELO model can be used as a micro pickup with a 60-inch bed for hauling goods or converted into a small van. The battery pack on the base model, which accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds, delivers 260 miles per charge, while a longer-range version can go up to 350 miles.

Production of model, which draws inspiration from Japan’s kei mini trucks, will be done by Schwab, a Michigan-based auto supplier, starting by the end of the year with deliveries likely to ramp up in 2027. Notably, the startup is based in San Carlos, California, where Tesla itself also began more than 20 years ago, and Marc Tarpenning, one of Tesla’s original cofounders, helped lead a $20 million funding round for TELO last year and is a member of its board. Martin Eberhard, another Tesla cofounder and its first CEO is also an investor, cofounder and CEO Jason Marks told Forbes.

“In some way, shape or form, the first 20 people at Tesla are involved with the company,” he said. That includes TELO CTO and cofounder Forrest North, a Tesla engineer in the company’s earliest phase.

Clever packaging and utilizing the MT1’s flat battery pack and integrated motor and inverter allows for a surprisingly roomy interior despite the small size, Marks said. “The biggest point of pushback we get is after somebody comes and sits in our vehicle they don’t believe it’s smaller than a Mini Cooper. We have to take the tape measure out and show them.”

For drivers interested in relatively inexpensive, long-range EVs, Aptera is finally about to begin delivering its three-wheel model that’s capable of being passively recharged by integrated solar panels. If it does actually begin delivering $41,000 commercial units in the coming months it will be a major accomplishment, since the original incarnation of the company died in 2011, only to be resurrected by its founders in 2019.

Looking more like a small, high-tech airplane, the highway-legal Aptera model is to have up to 400 miles of range, with integrated solar panels that can provide up to 40 miles of driving range per day.

The best-funded new wave EV maker, however, is Slate Auto, backed by Jeff Bezos, that’s taking orders for a stripped down, no-frills electric pickup due in the coming months. If buyers are okay with minimal interior and comfort features and hand-cranked windows, they can get one for as little as $25,000. And though the vehicle may be a bit spartan when it comes to creature comforts it’s still intended to be a fun-based brand. Last week, Slate said it’s partnering with crayon maker Crayola to liven up its color scheme.

“The collaboration transforms five fan-favorite colors—Cerulean, Fern, Jersey Tomato, Razzmatazz, and the beloved Dandelion—into bold vehicle wraps and matching accessories,” Slate said.

Chip’s Detweiler thinks there’s plenty of room for all the new players.

“I like to think about the category overall as companies that are right-sizing vehicles. TELO’s another great one,” he said. “Slate’s really stripped down. We're actually pretty technology forward, but constrained in where you can operate the vehicle. I love all of those products. Slate is something that we would look at even as complimentary rather than competitive.”

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