Electric rickshaw

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Electric rickshaws (also known as electric tuk-tuks, [1] e-rickshaws, [2] Totos [3] and e-tricycles [4] ) are small 3-wheeled vehicles powered by an electric battery and motor. These small electric vehicles do not require petroleum fuel like auto rickshaws, but still maintain greater mobility than traditional pulled rickshaws. This has led to their popularity and use expanding in some cities since 2008.[ citation needed ] Electric rickshaws are mostly manufactured in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and China. [5] [6]

Contents

Electric Rickshaws in Lumbini, Nepal Electric Rickshaws.jpg
Electric Rickshaws in Lumbini, Nepal
Qufu - Gogobike - P1060306 Qufu - Gogobike - P1060306.JPG
Qufu - Gogobike - P1060306

Development of the E-Rickshaw market in India

Share of E-Rickshaw Production in India till FY 2018 Share of E-Rickshaw Production in India till FY 2018.png
Share of E-Rickshaw Production in India till FY 2018

Share of Production

Electric rickshaws gained popularity in India between 2015 and 2018. Although a host of unorganized producers dominate this segment, established manufacturers have also identified their growth opportunities and are expected to foray into the segment. [7]

Sales of E-Rickshaw in India from 2015-16 to 2017-18 Sales-of-E-Rickshaw-in-India-from-2015-16-to-2017-18.png
Sales of E-Rickshaw in India from 2015–16 to 2017-18

In the early 2010s, E-Rickshaws were introduced to several Indian and Chinese cities, however, they sold poorly at first and were initially uncommon. Driven by a push for more environmentally-friendly methods of transportation, the electric rickshaw has surged in popularity, and takes up an increasingly larger share of urban transport in these areas, especially as already established companies introduce their own rickshaw products to the market. [7] [8]

Design and construction

Customized electric rickshaws in Comilla, Bangladesh Electric trikes overwhelm Comilla streets.jpg
Customized electric rickshaws in Comilla, Bangladesh

Electric rickshaws usually have a mild steel tubular chassis, consisting of three wheels with a Differential mechanism sending power to the rear wheels. The motor is a brushless DC motor, with power outputs generally ranging from 650 to 1,400 watts (0.87 to 1.88  hp ). The electrical system used in Indian versions is 48V and in Bangladesh is 60V. In China, the most popular body design is made of very thin iron or aluminum sheets. Bodies made of fiberglass are also popular for their strength and durability, and resulting low maintenance requirements. [9]

The vehicle's batteries are typically lead acid with a lifespan of 6 to 12 months. Deep cycle batteries designed for electric vehicles are rarely used. [10]

Types

An electric tricycle in Binondo District, Manila, Philippines 1662Binondo, Manila Landmarks 01.jpg
An electric tricycle in Binondo District, Manila, Philippines

Load carriers

The load-carrying versions of these rickshaws differ in their upper body, load-carrying capacity, motor power, controller, and other structural aspects. At times, the motor power is also increased to carry loads up to 500-1000 kg.[ citation needed ]

Solar

There are two types of solar vehicles:

Popularity

Electric rickshaws are most popular in Asia, especially in China, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Low-cost Chinese models were the often first electric rickshaws to become popular in those countries. In addition to this, China, Japan, India, and European countries (Switzerland, France, and Germany) have researched and developed electric tricycles for commercial transport and are attempting to capture the growing market in Asia.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh began importing electric rickshaws in 2004 from China. In May 2011, the government banned the import and assembly of the vehicles, and ordered operating vehicles scrapped, because most are recharged through illegal connections. Importers said they would challenge the ban in court. [12] In 2021, the government again announced a ban, citing road safety. [13]

China

An electric rickshaw in Haikou, Hainan, China Auto-rickshaw in Haikou - 02.jpg
An electric rickshaw in Haikou, Hainan, China

China is the largest manufacturer of electric rickshaws in the world, largely due to low labor costs, high production rates, and government incentives encouraging foreign trade, they import a large number daily. There are hundreds of electric rickshaw manufacturers and thousands of parts producers. Their main market is within small towns or cities with insufficient public transport. [6]

India

One of the first attempts to design electric rickshaws was by the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute in the late 1990s. [14] [15]

Today, e-rickshaws play a major role in providing livelihood to people in India, as their low cost and high efficiency make them common on Indian streets. [16] Government policies have threatened the e-rickshaw and banned its use in the capital city Delhi, [16] [17] however these measures did not lead to a national ban, and e-rickshaws were legalized in India in 2015. E-rickshaws are still rising in number and are widely used in Delhi and other parts of India. In Delhi, as per government official figures in April 2012, their number was over 100,000. [6] [18]

Electric rickshaw in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India Electric rickshaw in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.jpg
Electric rickshaw in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India

E-rickshaw law in India

Initially, e-rickshaws were unregulated by any central law in India. However, the Delhi High Court banned the running of e-rickshaws in Delhi on 31 July 2014 over safety concerns raised through public interest litigation. [19] In a rally held for the regularization of e-rickshaws in Delhi, transport minister Nitin Gadkari said that "municipal corporations would regularize e-rickshaws by registering them for a fee of just ₹100. After registering the e-rickshaw, corporations will have to issue identity cards to drivers so that they can earn their livelihood easily." [20] Once the policy was in place, the corporation, along with traffic police, would have fixed the amount of the fine to be imposed for violation of the policy. [20] However, the policy was never implemented. Certain states like Tripura had regularized the e-rickshaws through municipal bylaws or state legislation. [19] In March 2015, the Indian Parliament passed an amendment to the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015 legalizing e-rickshaws. [21] By July 2015, battery rickshaws were available in many cities and were required to comply with Registration No. plate by R.T.O. with insurance.

See also

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The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of hatchback tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, cyclo, beca, becak, trisikad, sikad, tricycle taxi, trishaw, or hatchback bike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auto rickshaw</span> Motorized version of the rickshaw

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rickshaw</span> Two- or three-wheeled passenger cart

Rickshaw originally denoted a pulled rickshaw, which is a two- or three-wheeled cart generally pulled by one person carrying one passenger. The first known use of the term was in 1879. Over time, cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws, and electric rickshaws were invented, and have replaced the original pulled rickshaws, with a few exceptions for their use in tourism.

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References

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