http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/nz/77235562/tuktuks-taking-to-the-streets-of-wellington Tuk-tuks taking to the streets of Wellington video February 25 2016 SIOBHAN DOWNES
[video flash / ROBERT KITCHIN/FAIRFAX NZ Jeremy Marr and his brother Glen Varcoe have started a new business in Wellington with a fleet of tuk-tuks. image / TukTuksNZ/FACEBOOK http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/9/z/t/0/e/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.19zfca.png/1456345544021.jpg The tuk-tuks will take tourists on a loop of Wellington with eight stops, including the Beehive ] They are most commonly seen weaving through traffic in Thailand, but a fleet of tuk-tuks will soon be zipping its way through the streets of Wellington [.au]. New Zealand's first electric tuk-tuks will take tourists on a loop of the capital's major attractions, such as Te Papa and Pukeahu National War Memorial Park. Tuk-tuks are three-wheeled motorised vehicles, used as taxis in many parts of Asia. Jeremy Marr came up with the idea to bring them to Wellington when he and his cousin were looking at options for a coffee cart business, and came across tuk-tuks being used as food trucks in Melbourne. They bought a tuk-tuk, and got the coffee cart up and running. But Marr decided to take the venture even further. "I decided, actually, these would be awesome to take people around in. I just thought they'd be a great fit for Welly." Marr and his brother, Glen Varcoe, purchased four more tuk-tuks - one three-seater and three six-seaters - to create a passenger fleet they have named the Tuk Tuk Cartel. The name "cartel" was chosen because Marr and Varcoe only met for the first time six years ago, as Marr was adopted at birth. "We wanted to get that idea of brotherhood and family across," Varcoe said. The tuk-tuks were manufactured in Bangkok by a company called the Tuk Tuk Factory, and cost about $32,000 each once they had been shipped to New Zealand. Marr said they were looking at a price point of $20 to $35 for passenger tickets, with a scenic route option, or a multi-stop ticket that could be used over 24 hours. The fully electric, zero emission tuk-tuks would be charged at Te Papa, which was installing four charging stations especially for them. Each tuk-tuk has a weather cover which can be removed if passengers want to enjoy the feel of the famous Wellington wind whipping through their hair. Marr said they were hoping to launch in the next few weeks, once they had hired enough drivers and completed the classification process with the New Zealand Transport Agency. "They're not sure how to classify us... we're the first tuk-tuks in New Zealand." If the tuk-tuks were successful in Wellington, they would look at expanding, Marr said. Later this year they hoped to set up in the Hawke's Bay, where Varcoe is based, offering wine and art deco tuk-tuk tours. The tuk-tuks could also be hired out for weddings and other events. Marr said he hoped his tuk-tuks would eventually be seen alongside Te Papa and the Cable Car as one of Wellington's "must-do" attractions. "Since we've been driving these around people film you, they yell at you, they wave, they jeer," he said. "It just brings a smile to people's faces." [© 2016 Fairfax New Zealand] ... https://www.facebook.com/TukTukFactory Tuk Tuk Factory https://www.tuktukfactory.com For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-AUD32k-e-Tuk-tuks-take-tourists-on-a-loop-of-the-Land-of-Oz-tp4680746.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
