Micromobility company Voi has launched an electric tuk-tuk trial to carry out service tasks like battery swaps and maintenance of its e-scooter service in Bristol, south England.
Voi has partnered with manufacturing company Biliti Electric to run the first-of-its-kind, four-month trial.
Powered by swappable electric batteries, the Biliti Taskman EV is a three-wheeled, open-cabin tuk-tuk, with a maximum load capacity of 300 kg.
Taskman can travel up to 25 mph (40 km/h) and has a range of 110 miles (177 km), which is adequate for navigating around the city and tackling Bristol’s cobbled roads.
“Voi has a number of e-cargo bike partners which we use in our UK markets, however, due to how hilly Bristol is and the size of our operations in the city, the Biliti Electric Taskman EV was an exciting option for us to explore,” Emma Hughes, Partnerships Manager for Voi UK and Ireland, told Zag Daily.
“With 20% gradeability, and the ability to provide power, the tuktuk allows us to complete a variety of city centre tasks in a green way.”
The vehicle has been integrated into Voi’s warehouse fleet to support on-street maintenance within the city’s new Clean Air Zone, which includes over 130 e-scooter parking spots.
It will save ten times the carbon emission of a traditional diesel engine van doing the same job, according to Voi.
Since launching in 2020, riders in Bristol have completed nearly eight million journeys. It is the largest e-scooter scheme in the UK and one of the most popular in Europe.
Rajarshi Rakesh Sahai, CEO of EMEA at Biliti Electric, celebrated the partnership with Voi.
“Our mission in Europe is to help companies like Voi in mitigating their emissions, with our clean and green ‘L2 Electric’ vehicles that lend themselves perfectly to the varying operational tasks, branding and community engagement,” said Sahai.
