Tesla Cybertruck inspired Cyber-Rickshaw is the three-wheeler we WANT!

If you are an automotive company fancying developing the next-generation three-wheeler that will solve the last-mile mobility riddle in India with a little imagination, check out these designs! Ultraviolette Automotive’s Founder Narayan Subramaniam, at the request of ElectricVehicleWeb.in on his Instagram page, has designed such a three-wheeler inspired by the Tesla Cybertruck. Narayan, who spoke to EVW before the unveil of the Ultraviolette F77 electric sport bike last year, messaged us stating that the Cyber-rickshaw is a design that is “meant to open up people’s imagination.”

Narayan started working on the sketches as a 30-minute exercise but ended up designing a whole range of three-wheelers for various applications. There’s a passenger version that can take three guests and a driver, and one designed for commercial use for last-mile deliveries. It can be seen that the inspirations are clearly from the Tesla Cybertruck with the variant extensions featuring triangular shapes and feel like they time-traveled from 2050.

Tesla has constructed the Cybertruck around an ultra-hard 30X cold-rolled stainless-steel structure that is made for durability and passenger protection. Tesla claims that even the glass used is ultra-strong and polymer-layered composite that will absorb and redirect impact (which Elon Musk infamously tried showcasing not-so-successfully during the unveiling of the electric pickup truck).

Inside, the Cybertruck can seat up to six adults and in a true Tesla-fashion, gets a 17-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

The Cybertruck will be available in three versions – single motor rear-wheel-drive, dual-motor all-wheel-drive and tri-motor all-wheel-drive offering a range of over 400 km, 480 km and 800 km respectively. The pickup truck will also be able to tow up to 3,400 kg, 4,500 kg and 6,350 kg for the three versions respectively. Other standard features include autopilot and adaptive air suspension.

While Tesla doesn’t have firm plans yet to enter India, it may need to consider the electric three-wheeler segment seriously, seeing the data that more than 50 per cent of the distance travelled in India are using two- or three-wheelers. While we have a few electric auto-rickshaws on the market with segment leader Bajaj Auto releasing its competitor later this year, they still follow the classic shape and are nothing special. The electric quadricycle Mahindra Atom, which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2020, is setting out to disrupt the segment as a clean, safe, spacious and air-conditioned alternative for the last-mile passenger. Let’s hope Tesla’s listening and does more than position itself in the country as a rich man’s toy.