An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Often called a tuk tuk, it is usually a three-wheeled vehicle, powered by an engine. They use a variety of fuels, with the most common being petrol, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and electricity. They are known by many names across many different countries.
The auto rickshaw is a common form of transport around the world (especially in South Asian countries like India and Pakistan) both as a vehicle for hire and private use. They are especially common in countries with tropical or subtropical climate since they are usually not fully enclosed, and in many developing countries because they are relatively inexpensive to own and operate.
There are different auto rickshaw designs. The most common type used for passenger transport is characterized by a sheet-metal body resting on three wheels with a canvas roof and drop-down side curtains. The driver is seated in a small cabin at the front and operates handlebar controls with a space for carrying up to three passengers in the back. The cargo versions might have an open space at the rear. A simpler version might have an expanded sidecar mounted on a three wheeled motorcycle.
, India is the largest market for electric auto rickshaws, surpassing China. , Bajaj Auto of India is the world's largest auto rickshaw manufacturer.
Origin
In the 1930s Japan, which was the most industrialized country in Asia at the time, encouraged the development of motorized vehicles including less expensive three-wheeled vehicles based on motorcycles. The Mazda-Go, a 3-wheel open "truck" released in 1931, is often considered the first of what became auto rickshaws. Later that decade the Japanese Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of Japan distributed about 20,000 used three-wheelers to Southeast Asia as part of efforts to expand its influence in the region.ミゼット物語 木村信之 著 高原書店(Nobuyuki Kimura "Story of Midget", Published on 10 November 1998)Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. public relations section/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=321:2009-11-30-05-34-59&catid=54:2009-09-09-07-52-31&Itemid=232 Royal Thai Embassy Tokyo, Japan 日本生まれのタイのトゥクトゥク (Tuk-Tuk of Thailand was born in Japan.) They became popular in some areas, especially Thailand, which developed local manufacturing and design after the Japanese government abolished the three-wheeler license in Japan in 1965.
Production in Southeast Asia started from the knockdown production of the Daihatsu Midget, which was introduced in 1959. An exception is the indigenously modified Philippine tricycle, which originates from the Rikuo Type 97 motorcycle with a sidecar, introduced to the islands in 1941 by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
In Asia, Corradino D'Ascanio, aircraft designer at Piaggio and inventor of the Vespa, came up with the idea of building a light three-wheeled commercial vehicle to power Italy's post-war economic reconstruction. The Piaggio Ape followed suit in 1947. Innocenti, another leading Scooter manufacturer, also came up with their Lambretta line of three wheelers in a cargo version, later adopted as a passenger version by its Indian colloborator Automobile Products of India.
Regional variations
Africa and the Middle East Egypt Locally named the "tuktuk", the rickshaw is used as a means of transportation in most parts of Egypt. It is generally rare to find in some affluent and newer parts of cities such as New Cairo and Heliopolis; and on highways due to police control and enforcement.
Gaza Together with the 2010 boom of recreational facilities in Gaza for the local residents, donkey carts have all but been displaced by tuk-tuks in 2010. Due to the ban by Egypt and Israel on the import of most motorised vehicles, the tuk-tuks have had to be smuggled in parts through the tunnel network connecting Gaza with Egypt.
Iraq Due to extreme congestion in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities combined with the insensible cost of vehicles in relation to frequent violence, rickshaws have been imported from India in large numbers to provide taxi service and other purposes, in stark contrast to previous attitudes of the pre-U.S. 2003 invasion eras with rickshaws being disdained and sedans being held in high regard as a status symbol. Rickshaws have been noted for being instrumental in political protest revolts.
Kenya
Locally named 'Tuktuk', the rickshaw is used as a means of transportation in some parts of Kenya.
Madagascar In Madagascar, man-powered rickshaws are a common form of transportation in a number of cities, especially Antsirabe. They are known as "posy" from pousse-pousse, meaning push-push. Cycle rickshaws took off since 2006 in a number of flat cities like Toamasina and replaced the major part of the posy, and are now threatened by the auto rickshaws, introduced in 2009. Provincial capitals like Toamasina, Mahajanga, Toliara, and Antsiranana are taking to them rapidly. They are known as "bajaji" in the north and "tuk-tuk" or "tik-tik" in the east, and are now licensed to operate as taxis. They are not yet allowed an operating licence in the congested, and more polluted national capital, Antananarivo.
Morocco In Morocco, there are Auto-rickshaws in Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakesh.
Nigeria
The auto rickshaw is used to provide transportation in cities all over Nigeria. Popularity and use varies across the country. In Lagos, for example, the "keke" (Yoruba for bicycle) is regulated and transportation around the state's highways is prohibited while in Kano it's popularly known as "Adaidaita Sahu", in Abuja "FCT" and also Northern Nigeria it is called "keke napep".
South Africa
Tuk-tuks, introduced in Durban in the late 1980s, have enjoyed growing popularity in recent years, particularly in Gauteng. In Cape Town they are used to deliver groceries and, more recently, transport tourists.
Sudan Rickshaws, known as "Raksha" in Sudan, are the most common means of transportation, followed by the bus, in the capital Khartoum.
Tanzania Locally known as "bajaji", they are a common mode of transportation in Dar es Salaam, and many other cities and villages.
Tunisia
Uganda A local delivery company called as Sokowatch in 2020 began a pilot project using electric tuk-tuks, to cut pollution.
Zimbabwe
Hende Moto EV & Taxi company was founded in 2019 by Devine Mafa, an American-Zimbabwean businessman. Hende Moto taxis were first introduced in Zimbabwe as the first vehicle manufactured by Zimbabwean three-wheeler manufacturing company Hende Moto Pvt Ltd. The first Hende Moto Taxi was introduced in Kwekwe in August 2019, and thereafter in Victoria Falls City and then Harare in 2019. Hende Moto is also the manufacturer of the first Zimbabwean-made electric passenger three-wheeled vehicle. It operates on a lithium-ion battery that has a range of 70 miles on a 6-hour charge.
South Asia Afghanistan
Auto rickshaws are very common in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, where they are popularly decorated in art and colors. They are also popular in the northern city of Kunduz.
Bangladesh
Auto rickshaws (locally called "baby taxis" or "CNGs" for those running on compressed natural gas) are one of the more popular modes of transport in Bangladesh mainly due to their size and speed. They are best suited to narrow, crowded streets, and are thus the principal means of covering longer distances within urban areas.
Two-stroke engines had been identified as one of the leading sources of air pollution in Dhaka. Thus, since January 2003, traditional auto rickshaws were banned from the capital; only the new natural gas-powered models (CNG) were permitted to operate within the city limits. All CNGs are painted green to signify that the vehicles are eco-friendly and that each one has a meter built-in.
As of 2025, auto rickshaws in Bangladesh are predominantly electric. There were around 4 million unregistered electric auto rickshaws circulating in Bangladesh by 2025, up from 200,000 in 2016. They constitute "perhaps the world’s biggest informal EV fleet."
India
Most cities offer auto rickshaw services, although cycle rickshaws and hand-pulled rickshaws are also available but rarely in certain remote areas, as all other cities began using auto rickshaws. Many state governments have launched an initiative of women-friendly rickshaw service called the Pink Rickshaws driven by women. The drivers are known as the "Rickshaw-wallah", auto-wallah, tuktuk-wallah or auto-kaaran in places like Tamil Nadu/Kerala. Auto-rickshaws are also known as tempos in some parts of India.
Auto rickshaws are used in cities and towns for short distances; they are less suited to long distances because they are slow and the carriages are open to air pollution. Auto rickshaws (often called "autos") provide cheap and efficient transportation. Modern auto rickshaws run on electricity as the government pushes for e-mobility through its FAME-II scheme, compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) due to government regulations and are environmentally friendly compared to full-sized cars.
To augment the speedy movement of traffic, auto rickshaws are not allowed in the southern part of the Mumbai.
India is the location of the annual Rickshaw Run.
There are two types of auto rickshaws in India. In older versions the engines were below the driver's seat, while in newer versions engines are in the rear. They normally run on petrol, CNG, or diesel. The seating capacity of a normal rickshaw is four, including the driver's seat. Six-seater rickshaws exist in different parts of the country, but the model was officially banned in the city of Pune on 10 January 2003 by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA).
Apart from this, modern electric auto rickshaws, which operate on electric motors and offer high torque and loading capacity with better speed, are also gaining popularity in India. Many auto drivers have switched to electric three-wheelers due to the high prices of CNG and diesel, making traditional auto rickshaws much more expensive compared to their electric counterparts. The government is also taking steps to convert existing CNG and diesel rickshaws to electric models.
CNG autos in many cities (e.g. Delhi, Agra) are distinguishable from the earlier petrol-powered autos by a green and yellow livery, as opposed to the earlier black and yellow appearance. In other cities (such as Mumbai) the only distinguishing feature is the 'CNG' print found on the back or side of the auto. Some local governments are considering four-stroke engines instead of two-stroke versions.
Notable auto rickshaw manufacturers in India include Bajaj Auto, Mahindra & Mahindra, Piaggio Ape, Atul Auto, Kerala Automobiles Limited, TVS Motors and Force Motors.
In Delhi there also used to be a variant powered by a Harley-Davidson engine called the phat-phati, because of the sound it made. The story goes that shortly after the Independence of India, a stock of Harley-Davidson motorbikes that had been used by British troops during World War II were found to be left behind in a military storage house in Delhi. Drivers purchased these bikes, added on a gear box (probably from a Willys jeep), welded on a passenger compartment that was good for four to six passengers, and put the unconventional vehicles onto the roads. A 1998 ruling of the Supreme Court against the use of polluting vehicles finally signed the death warrant of Delhi's phat-phatis.
, India has about 2.4 million battery-powered, three-wheeled rickshaws on its roads. Some 11,000 new ones hit the streets each month, creating a US$3.1 billion market. Manufacturers include Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and Kinetic Engineering. A prerequisite for the adoption to electric vehicles is the availability of charging stations; as of early 2024, India had 12,146 public EV charging stations operational across the country.