Comment by danans
8 hours ago
For me, the more exciting phenomenon is the electric 3 wheeler, AKA the electric auto-rikshaw/tuk-tuk.
Hired 3 wheelers are the primary affordable last-mile option in cities big and small in Asia when you don't have or can't drive a car or 2-wheeler (school children, the elderly, or anyone who doesn't want to deal with the insane traffic). They tend to have 2-stroke engines, a huge source of local air pollution.
But there are increasingly electric versions these days. I asked one e-rickshaw driver whether he saves money by driving it, and he said yes, but also it's a lot more comfortable for both him and his customers vs the vibrations of the 2 stroke petrol engine.
His only concern was the depreciation and it's effect on resale value.
> They tend to have 2-stroke engines
Where in Asia are 2-stroke engines for still common?
I shouldn't have used the word "tend", but there are still many 2-stroke auto-rickshaws in India. I saw (and smelled) them a year ago. That said, I know many cities in India have banned them, and they are not in production anymore.
Having been in an electric rickshaw, I will take them over a combustion one (2 or 4-stroke) if I have a choice. I hope that the economics in India reach the tipping point where they are the obvious choice for rickshaw drivers.