Ikea’s new India store offers delivery by solar-powered tuk-tuk

ikea_rickshawOriginally based on the Indian version of a Vespa Ape, the three-wheeler rickshaw is ubiquitous throughout the Indian sub-continent, and indeed Asia. Ikea is using a solar-powered of these as at least 20% of their delivery fleet for their new Hyderabad flagship store.  The Ikea version will be charged at the store, running off of solar power harvested from 4,000 panels on the roof. Any excess energy gathered will be used for lighting and inside the store.

Link to the original story on Curbed.

Just to add some Lambretta flavour, here’s a  couple of (very) short videos of the Lambretta version of the three-wheeler commercial vehicle, The Lambro.

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Mike Karslake on Pepple Mill

A bit of nostalgia for you… whenever I was off school back in the ’80’s…there wasn’t much telly on… I remember stuff like Crown Court and General Hospital… and then, at lunchtime, there was always Pebble Mill. Here’s an episode from the 80’s featuring Lambretta legend Mike Karslake, and some of his extensive Lambretta collection, including his Lambretta based fire engine and Wolfie’s Lambretta from Citizen Smith! He makes quite an entry on a Series 2 sidecar combination!

Via GP225 Wildcat’s YouTube Channel.

Lambretta Helicak

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An unusual Lambretta/Rickshaw type contraption from Indonesia, these Helicaks (because they look like a Helicopter, presumably) are one of the odder Lambretta conversions I’ve seen.

Helicak

They were introduced in Jakarta in the early ’70s, but by the late ’80s were deemed unsafe, as in an impending accident, the drivers tended to abandon ship, leaving the passengers trapped in the fibreglass cab to take the brunt of the collision.

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