Sri Lanka made electric 3-wheelers for 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Tuk-tuk, three wheeler, trishaw, auto-rickshaw — no matter what you call them, those, 3-wheeled autos will become a thing of the past after more than four decades with the introduction of environmentally-friendly electric 3-wheelers. The government has recently launched electric three-wheelers which will be made in Sri Lanka with Japanese assistance – with a batch ready for export to coincide with the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The production capacity would be around 200 to 300 units per month at the initial stage and it can be stepped up after adding more shifts. Moreover, once the body is localised, moulds can produce a larger volume daily, officials said. The electric three-wheeler has been developed incorporating some of the cutting-edge technology available in this industry by Japan Sri Lanka Comprehensive Partnership secretariat and T-PLAN Inc.
Addressing the recent launch ceremony, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said “T-PLAN hopes to export the Sri Lankan made electric vehicles to Japan.” The first batch of electric three wheelers manufactured in Sri Lanka will be ready by mid-2020, a Finance Ministry official said.
It is expected that three wheeled electric vehicles would make a large impact in providing environment friendly economical vehicles, he disclosed. This project was the outcome of a JICA Feasibility study grant in October 2017. A lithium ion battery plant is nearing completion under the directions of E&T Research Institute Inc in Sri Lanka, which would facilitate the manufacture of these batteries in the country.
This would be the first of many technology transfer projects that are currently being incubated by the Japan Sri Lanka Comprehensive Partnership secretariat. A Tokyo based high-tech research and development startup is entrusted with the task of setting up Sri Lanka’s first ever large, industry scale Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing facility.
The startup from Tokyo will also be installing international standard EV charging systems known as “micro-grid” stations across the country, as part of their hi-tech transfer to Sri Lanka. “The proposed EV manufacturing operation is to take off by producing Sri Lanka’s first ever smart, “EV tuk-tuks,” Minister Samaraweera said.
With the aim of encouraging the transition to environmentally friendly alternatives the import taxes on a diesel three-wheeler has been increased by Rs. 50,000 in the 2018 budget, he said.
He added that under the Enterprise Sri Lanka credit schemes, the Ministry of Finance will incorporate a subsidised loan scheme to enable three-wheeler drivers to invest in a multitude of additional services including meters, WIFI, and GPS facilities.