OMG it’s so cute. And it’s quiet because it’s electric. And it can carry a really big load — 500 kg.
A Brisbane-based group EMoS, has just imported into Australia the first of these Indian-brand Biliti Electric three-wheelers for its client ANC, a national last-mile delivery specialist.
They’re called TukTuk Kargos and ANC will be using them for small-parcel deliveries from IKEA’s Tempe store, near Sydney airport in a proof-of-concept trial.
“The TukTuk is a sort of rustic urban vehicle, but the carrying capacity is immense, and we’ve seen the opportunity with ANC to bring in this vehicle specifically for that last-mile delivery run,” said Harry Proskefalas, director of EMoS.
What appears to be brilliant and novel about the TukTuK, apart from its look, is that it’s designed so that its battery can be swapped out, or recharged insitu.
“The solution for fleet management is again that commercial application, making sure that there’s no downtime for charging, making sure you can swap it easily within that environment,” said Proskefalas. “If you can battery swap, you got the vehicle moving.”
Talking to Fleet News Group on the side of the ANC/Orix Sydney event where the TukTuk was launched Proskefalas said: “We’re in the early stage of developing an optimised battery solution.” Things are a bit more complicated, because Australian health and safety laws rule out having one person changing over the battery because it weighs too much etcetera.
In Europe, where the Biliti TukTuk is widely in use there’s a trolley used for lifting the battery in and out. Poskefalas said one option they’re also looking at is to redesign the battery so that it breaks into four parts for an easy one-person job to get the vehicle back on the road in a 15-20 minute window.
“With that we can actually diminish the range anxiety,” he said.
The Biliti TukTuk has a range of 110 kms per charge. Among other specifications, it can drive at 50kmh, and can be charged on a standard 240v power outlet.
“Battery swap is our direction, the battery swap solution is key,” said Proskefalas, adding that the bigger picture is reimagining fleet and delivery vehicles and right sizing.
“We’re not just trying to replace a conventional vehicle or a petrol vehicle. We’re trying to find the right solution that will fit the use case. So, you know, we don’t want a big truck going out half full servicing a certain area and then coming back.
“Trucks have got a place in the market, E-vans have got a place in the market, and so the E-TukTuk too has got a place in the market.”
EMoS has about 12 vehicles in its range of imports, all two and three wheelers — from mopeds to motorcycles, people movers and cargo movers. Its big clients include Domino’s and it’s doing a pilot with Australia Post.
