Asia's Electric Tuk-Tuk Boom Set to Drastically Reduce Pollution
- Jun 10
- 2 min read
The noisy, fume-belching three-wheelers are the backbone of the region’s transport system. Now, battery-powered versions are transforming economies and the environment.
For decades, the “tuk-tuk” sound of three-wheeled taxis and vans weaving through Asia’s smoggy megacities and bustling towns has been central to their character. It’s a sound so distinctive, it became a nickname for the vehicles themselves. The name is unlikely to change, but air-quality most certainly will. While Europe and America have focused on cars, there’s been a monumental shift to little vehicles on the other side of the world. Tuk-tuks or rickshaws are increasingly powered by batteries instead of hydrocarbons.
It’s the same with motorbikes and scooters, where India and China see the bulk of new ultra-affordable models, mainly thanks to a combination of government incentives and large-scale adoption of scooter and motorcycle commuting among the population.
These new electric three- and two-wheelers are on course to transform some of the world’s most polluted cities. Where now there is smog, soon there could be clean air.
“The market is booming now, a decade after it emerged,” says Sunitha Anup, a researcher at the International Council on Clean Transportation. “Climate change is a secondary reason for the shift - the first is cost.” Plus, concerns over energy supply chains - fears which have only risen since the war in Iran.
Globally, around a quarter of three-wheeled vehicles sold in 2025 were battery-powered. But in India this figure hit almost 70 percent - with prices starting at around $1,500 - according to a recent report from the International Energy Agency, up from 20 percent in 2020. Established manufacturers, ambitious start-ups, policy-makers and everyday consumers are all embracing electric.
In all, 2.3 million EVs were sold in India in 2025, and 92 percent of these were mopeds and rickshaws - the workhorses of India’s transport system, for both people and goods.
