We can expect close to 200 km of claimed range from a single charge with TVS King Electric rickshaw, drawing power from a battery with up to 12 kWh of capacity
If there is one brand that currently dominates electric 3W vehicles in India, it has to be Mahindra. That said, there seems to be rising competition from both mainstream OEMs and a sea of electric mobility startups. In mainstream OEMs, primary rival for Mahindra is Bajaj. Now, TVS is crashing the race with a new electric rickshaw whose design patents have leaked.
TVS King Electric Rickshaw Design Patents Leaked
Electric rickshaws or electric Tuk Tuks, are one of the main pillars of electric last-mile mobility category. These electric rickshaws can be modified into an electric 3W cargo vehicle too. This is standard practice and many OEMs do it. TVS is taking a similar approach to King Electric.
TVS has applied trademarks for both King Electric and King Kargo Electric. These are electric counterparts of King and King Kargo 3W vehicles respectively. Not a lot of details are known about TVS’ upcoming electric 3W vehicles. But we can expect quite an impact in their respective segments, considering TVS’ presence in commercial vehicle space.
As seen in the design patents, King Electric is identical to ICE King already on sale in India, where design is concerned. TVS will offer a multitude of variations that will include different door structure options and other paraphernalia. TVS offers ICE King rickshaw in different colour variations including Red-Black, Yellow-Black, Green-Yellow, Blue-Black and Black-Black, depending on location.
Front driver compartment with basic instrumentation, passenger space for three occupants in 2nd row is standard between both ICE and EV counterparts. In design patents, we can see a battery pack situated below driver’s seat and spare wheel behind rear seats. There is an opaque door for ingress and egress for passengers that should also provide some weather protection.
There is a tubular frame for the roof structure that holds a soft top cover. We can see a non-sophisticated front suspension setup along with rear leaf springs.
What will it pack?
TVS King Electric rickshaw will pack decent specs for the price to keep rivals in check. As of writing this article, there are no concrete details regarding the powertrain or specs. That said, TVS is likely to keep powertrain in tandem with what rivals are offering.
We hope TVS King Electric packs a larger battery with up to 12 kWh of capacity that would promise a claimed range of close to 200 km on a single charge. This should ensure maximum up-time, which is crucial for an auto rickshaw. We expect pricing to fall between Rs. 1.5 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh (ex-sh) depending on battery size.
