eTukTuks are coming to Australia, with delivery company ANC picking them up for inner-city shipping.
Partnering with Brisbane company EMoS, the importer of the electric eTukTuks, ANC showed off the first of two eTukTuks today. It’s nicknamed BUDDe, and to be honest, it’s adorable. It’s the first eTukTuk to come down under.
But it’s also incredibly barebones. If you’re used to the driver assistance tech you’d find in most other EVs in Australia, you’ll be disappointed by BUDDe’s stripped-back design. Naturally, like other Tuk Tuks, it only has three wheels and is driven with a motorcycle bar instead of a steering wheel.
Inside the eTukTuk. Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia
It’s similar to the last-mile delivery e-trikes adopted by Australia Post back in 2019, which were also electric, although this eTukTuk has a more solid roof and more cargo capacity.
“The introduction of these battery-powered eTukTuks to our EV fleet is an integral milestone in our journey to realising our sustainability objectives,” said Joe Sofra, the CEO of ANC.
“It’s a functional, electric delivery vehicle that’s easy to charge and has plenty of cargo space despite its smaller size.”
The specs are less impressive than what you might find on another electric vehicle but do keep in mind that we’re talking about a delivery eTukTuk here.
The eTukTuk has a 9kWh battery, with a 50km/h speed limit and an expected maximum range of 110km. It can carry 625kg (excluding the driver), and it can charge from 0 per cent to 100 per cent at 420v in four hours and 30 minutes.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the electric TukTuk is that it has a removable battery; a process that ANC says only takes two minutes. That completely does away with the charging time issue, provided that ANC has enough batteries to swap between.
And the idea for replacement batteries doesn’t end with the eTukTuk. Currently, ANC is developing a similar system for deliveries outside of metropolitan locations. Obviously this doesn’t include the humble eTukTuk, and is more ideal for vans and trucks, of which ANC has a fleet of more than 1,000 (10 of which are electric).
“If part of the battery capability is attached to the box and the box has been remounted and is… getting loaded somewhere, and there’s a replacement box on the truck doing its work, then the battery that can be attached to that box can be charged,” Sofra told Gizmodo Australia.
“I can’t imagine a scenario where, at some point, swappable batteries don’t become viable.”
EMoS has received import approval for the eTukTuks, and is homologating them to the Australian Design Rules and the Road Vehicles Standards Act. They’ll be capable of driving on local roads, but obviously don’t expect to see one of these on a highway (they won’t be able to keep up).
“[eTukTuks] were introduced into the European market predominantly for parcel and postal delivery, and now national couriers are adopting them,” added Harry Proskefalas, the director of EMoS.
“Together with ANC we’re really at the forefront of this new technology.”
I would love to drive BUDDe, but I’ll settle for a delivery from it. Come drop a parcel off at my home anytime, BUDDe.
