While General Motors apparently didn’t get the memo, basic trucks are back in style. Slate and Ford both believe the time is right for a no-frills compact electric pickup, but even these trucks rely on fresh engineering and are aimed at retail as well as fleet buyers. Another company is planning something even more basic by focusing solely on the commercial market.
Based in Roanoke, Virginia, Tomo Trucks wants to sell a compact truck based on the Ford Ranger that seems perfect for job sites and little else. The unnamed truck has a flat five-foot steel bed and an open-sided cab unburdened by creature comforts. The cab is made from “bio-based” composite materials, according to the company. Both it and the bed are plopped onto the bare chassis with no other bodywork. It reminds me a bit of how luxury automakers used to sell bare chassis with a steering wheel and pedals attached, assuming the buyer would fit their own coachwork.
Tomo’s online presence is as minimal as its truck. All the information we have on it comes from a Facebook post, while the company’s website is just a Google Form with two questions: budget and preferred platform. Interestingly, the form includes options for a gasoline or electric Ranger, V8-powered F-150, and Super Duty diesel. Perhaps Tomo is trying to gauge interest in bigger, more capable options once it gets the initial Ranger-based truck across the line.
Tomo plans to deliver its first customer trucks
Tomo plans to deliver its first customer trucks in the 2027 calendar year, which seems pretty ambitious given that the truck the company is showing now is only a prototype. The startup also isn’t discussing production volumes, but Roanoke is located far from existing industry supply chains, so this truck may be of the small-batch variety. Tomo does claim an association with Greenlander, a European adventure RV conversion company that uses eco-friendly materials.
Also unclear is how Tomo chose the Ranger as the basis for its truck. Nothing against Ford, but if the company wanted to use an American pickup as a starting point, it could have also gone with the Chevrolet Colorado or GMC Canyon. Perhaps it was a matter of cost, or the availability of spare chassis for conversion. At any rate, using an existing chassis is a smart move not just from a development standpoint, but because it makes use of existing parts supplies that owners can rely on.
I admire Tomo’s commitment to minimalism. Like all products of automotive startups, it’s best to take the company’s claims with a tablespoon of salt. After so many failures to deliver, it wouldn’t even be surprising if Tomo became another Lordstown or Bollinger Motors. Still, I hope at least a few of these trucks get built. They’ll make excellent props for a low-budget sci-fi show.
