Australian company Star 8 has developed a solar-powered electric Tuk-Tuk which they have called the SolarTuk.
Star 8 managing director Jacob Maimon came up with the idea of an electric Tuk-Tuk following a trip to SE Asia.
“I had taken a ride in a conventional one and when I got out I saw the driver putting only a small amount of petrol into the tank,” Maimon says. “I asked him why he didn’t fill it up and he said the cost of fuel was prohibitive and he could barely cover his daily expenses with the amount of work he picked up. It was then that I envisaged a solar-driven Tuk-Tuk which cost next to nothing to run.”
Solar Tuk-Tuks
The solar cells are used as a flexible roof which houses an array of mono-crystalline solar collectors to generate power for the vehicle.
The Tuk-Tuks have a maximum speed of 50 km/h, and can cover 120 kilometers on a charge. There will be three power outputs available, and can be recharged by plugging into a domestic power point or use the sun’s rays.
Unfortunately, the Star 8 people look like building these in Cambodia, but they say they are already in contact with China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, South Africa and Nigeria.
Most of Thailand’s Tuk-Tuks are LPG powered, and whilst the solar concept will satisfy the greenies, I cannot see it being welcomed by our local Tuk-Tuk drivers.
