A Tuk Tuk is, for better understanding, a three-wheeled vehicle (or auto rickshaw) used as a taxi in several parts of the world, like India, Cambodia or several African countries. The vehicles are simple, useful for use in congested city streets and, of course, fun as hell.
Tuk Tuk Factory has big plans for the Tuk Tuk in Europe, as it is currently seeking approval to develop three versions of the vehicle: a 3-seater, a 6-seater and a cargo version. Most of the vehicles will be sold for prices starting at EUR11,000 ($15,300).
To make them appealing for the European market, Tuk Tuks will be fitted with electric motors and a battery pack which will give them an operating autonomy of about 8-hours or 70 to 80 km (43-50 miles).
“We took the biggest battery we could possibly imagine as a starting point, and then designed the vehicle around that battery,” said Dennis Harte, the chief engineer behind the European Tuk Tuk.
“A 15kWh lead acid battery drives the silent and maintenance free AC motor. The chassis has been designed to carry the 400 kilos of the humongous battery.”
The concept of the electric Tuk Tuk is being presented at the eCarTec show in Munchen. There is, for now, no info on when the vehicles will enter production, as the Dutch are currently seeking sales and distribution partners. More about the Tuk Tuk and its soon-to-be European adventure can be found at the following link.
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