Ikea is now using eTukTuks in Australia, in collaboration with delivery company ANC, for use in inner-city locations as part of a trial of the technology taking place in Sydney.
As an earlier version of this article reflected, the eTukTuk in question was originally nicknamed BUDDe, and to be honest, it’s adorable. It is the first eTukTuk to come down under, with ANC collaborating with EMOS to import the vehicle.
Now, Ikea has adopted two eTukTuks from ANC, and has named them Tük-se and Tack-se. They’re the latest electric vehicles to join the growing Ikea fleet, with the company employing electric trucks and vans over the past couple of years.
“We know that the congested roads of metro Sydney will benefit enormously from the introduction of electric TukTuks in our delivery fleet, and we also hope it will inspire and drive positive change for the whole industry to meet the needs of people today without compromising the planet and needs of future generations,” manager for Ikea Tempe Tiffany Mosura-Lesnock said.
“IKEA Tempe is thrilled to be the first to debut the new electric tuk tuks delivery service, and we know our customers will love spotting the TukTuks on the streets of Sydney or perhaps turning up at their front door.”
As you can expect, these three-wheelers are incredibly barebones. If you’re used to the driver assistance tech you’d find in most other EVs in Australia, you’ll be disappointed by the stripped-back design of a TukTuk.
It’s similar to the last-mile delivery e-trikes adopted by Australia Post back in 2019, which were also electric, although this eTukTuk has a more solid roof and greater cargo capacity.
“The introduction of these battery-powered eTukTuks to our EV fleet is an integral milestone in our journey to realising our sustainability objectives,” ANC CEO Joe Sofra said in November 2022.
“It’s a functional, electric delivery vehicle that’s easy to charge and has plenty of cargo space despite its smaller size.”
The specs are less impressive than what you might find on another electric vehicle but do keep in mind that we’re talking about a delivery eTukTuk here.
The eTukTuk has a 9kWh battery, with a 50km/h speed limit and an expected maximum range of 110km. It can charge from 0 per cent to 100 per cent at 420v in four hours and 30 minutes.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the electric TukTuk is that it has a removable battery; a process that ANC says only takes two minutes. That completely does away with the charging time issue, provided that ANC has enough batteries to swap between.
“If part of the battery capability is attached to the box and the box has been remounted and is… getting loaded somewhere, and there’s a replacement box on the truck doing its work, then the battery that can be attached to that box can be charged,” Sofra told Gizmodo Australia in November.
“I can’t imagine a scenario where, at some point, swappable batteries don’t become viable.”
The trial will take place from May 16 (today) to August 16. If you’re ordering a small product from Ikea Tempe within a 10km radius (the range the trial will take place in), you’re likely to get it delivered by one of the eTukTuks.
The TukTuks can carry up to 500kg, and will be able to deliver small furniture, home furnishing products, and items under 40kg, like chairs and coffee tables.
I would love to drive one of Ikea’s fancy new eTukTuks, but I’ll settle for a delivery from it. Come drop a parcel off at my home anytime.
This article has been updated since it was originally published.