--- title: "Hyundai’s Rickshaw of the Future Can Lift Itself Through Flood Waters" description: "The streets of major Indian cities will sooner or later look a lot different than they do now if Hyundai has its way. The company teamed up with TVS Motor, one of the biggest motorcycle manufacturers in India, to re-invent…" date: "2025-01-28" modified: "2025-01-28" authors: - name: "Ronan Glon" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/ronan-glon" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/hyundais-rickshaw-of-the-future-can-lift-itself-through-flood-waters" categories: - "Hyundai News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Hyundai" - "rickshaw" - "Tuk-Tuk" --- # Hyundai’s Rickshaw of the Future Can Lift Itself Through Flood Waters ![Hyundai E3W concept]() *\Hyundai\* The streets of major Indian cities will sooner or later look a lot different than they do now if Hyundai has its way. The company teamed up with TVS Motor, one of the biggest motorcycle manufacturers in India, to re-invent [the three-wheeled tuk-tuk]() that's a common sight on Indian roads. Cheap to buy and operate, the tuk-tuk, or rickshaw, is hugely popular in India. Whether you're going around the block or four towns away, you can hail one pretty much everywhere. But part of why [these three-wheeled, scooter-derived people-haulers]() are so cheap is that they haven't significantly changed in many years. Small, evolutionary updates are common, but Hyundai hopes to start a revolution. The E3W concept it unveiled at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo remains cheap and clever, but it was developed on a blank slate to pelt the tuk-tuk into the 21st century. It starts with the shape, which is more angular and swept-back than the rounded, old-school styling that characterizes most of the rickshaws in India. These proportions weren't chosen at random: the sloped windshield makes the E3W safer than a standard rickshaw, Hyundai claims, while the longer wheelbase gives passengers more space. The driver's seating position is more comfortable, too. ![Hyundai E3W and E4W concepts]() **Hyundai** One of the coolest features baked into the E3W concept shows how high-tech solutions can improve even the most affordable and most basic vehicles. It rains a lot in India during the monsoon season and the streets tend to flood. Hyundai designed a height-adjustable body that lets the driver raise the passenger compartment to drive through relatively deep water without getting the cabin wet. How this works is a mystery; it could be electronic, but the E3W looks light enough that it might be able to get by with a mechanical system to keep costs in check. Interior pictures aren't available, but it sounds like a lot has changed inside. Crucially, one of the seats can fold to make space for a wheelchair. There's a phone holder on the dashboard, storage compartments, and pegboard-inspired panels that can be adjusted to create a partition. Powertrain specifications haven't been released, either; all we know is that the E3W is electric. Hyundai warns that "no binding agreements have been explored or executed," which is another way of saying "nothing is set in stone." However, it adds that it's open to providing the E3W's design, engineering, and technology if TVS is willing to build and market it. There's no word yet on when production could start, whether the 21st-century tuk-tuk will be sold in markets outside of India, or how much it would cost. That last point is important: it would need to be cheap to catch on, but the cool tech could drive its price way up. Regardless, we'd love to [see one race](). Called E4W, the four-wheeler shown above could reach production as well. It's closely related to the E3W but it has four wheels, a wider front end, and two front seats. Hyundai notes that the model's development is "under review," and it's farther away from production than the tuk-tuk. However, it's being envisioned as a global model, so it might end up parked next to [a Citroën Ami]() in a big European city if it reaches production. *Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Ronan is a contributing writer for The Drive. He draws on over 15 years of experience to cover breaking industry news, cool one-off builds, and anything in between. He began writing for The Drive in 2021 and stepped into his current role in 2024. His obsession with cars started when a relative gave him a Majorette die-cast shortly after his first birthday. It hasn't flickered since. Ronan lives in France; He swapped Utah's Rocky Mountains, where he grew up, for the Alps. He's an avid hiker, mountain biker, and musician. He also restores classic European cars and mopeds, including a 1978 Citroen 2CV that he's rebuilding from the ground up. ### Author social links [Twitter]()