Сколько пассажиров может нести электрический тук тук?

You're planning a shuttle service or taxi fleet, but you're unsure if an e-tuk tuk fits enough people. Choosing the wrong capacity means lower profits or inefficient service.

A standard electric tuk-tuk typically carries three passengers plus the driver. However, many variations exist, with models available for four, six, or even eight passengers, depending on the design, intended use, and local regulations. The choice depends entirely on your business needs.

"How many people can it hold?" This is one of the first questions clients ask me. It seems simple, but the answer is more than just a number. As a manufacturer, we build vehicles for very different jobs. A tuk-tuk for a busy city taxi route in Peru has different needs than a shuttle for a luxury resort in Dubai. The number of seats affects everything from the vehicle's cost and stability to its daily battery range. Understanding these options is key to picking the right tool for your business. Let's break down what's possible.

What Is the Standard Passenger Capacity of an Electric Tuk Tuk?

You're trying to compare different models, but the basic passenger count seems to be the starting point. Misunderstanding this can lead to poor financial projections for your taxi or shuttle business.

The industry standard for a classic electric tuk-tuk is three passengers. These passengers sit on a single bench behind the driver. This layout offers the best balance of vehicle size, cost-effectiveness, and maneuverability for urban environments.

The three-passenger design, inspired by the original Bajaj RE, is the most common configuration we export. From our factory floor, I can tell you this layout is popular for a reason. It hits a sweet spot. For taxi operators in places like Nigeria or Bolivia, it's perfect. The vehicle remains small and nimble enough to navigate heavy traffic, which is a major advantage over a regular car. The chassis is built to handle the weight of a driver and three adults without stress, typically within a total payload of around 300 kg.

This standard configuration keeps manufacturing costs down, which makes the vehicle more affordable for individual drivers and small fleet owners. It’s also very efficient. The motor and battery are optimized for this specific load, ensuring a good balance between performance and daily range. While it might seem basic, the three-passenger model is a workhorse. It’s the foundation upon which all other custom designs are built and serves the largest segment of the global tuk-tuk market. It’s a reliable and proven starting point for any e-tuk tuk venture.

How Do Design Variations Affect Seating Capacity?

Your business needs to move more than three people at a time, but a full-sized van is overkill. You feel stuck without a properly sized, efficient vehicle for your specific operation.

Manufacturers can modify the design to increase seating. Common variations include face-to-face seating for four passengers or extended models with extra benches to carry six to eight people. These are ideal for tourist shuttles and private internal transport.

This is where working directly with a factory like ours becomes a huge advantage. We don't just sell one model; we create solutions. I recently worked with a client who runs a large eco-park in Morocco. They needed to run tours, and a 3-seater was just not profitable enough per trip. We designed a custom 6-seater for them. Here’s how these variations typically work:

• Four Passengers: We often use a "face-to-face" seating arrangement. The standard three-person bench stays, and we add a smaller, rear-facing seat where the luggage space would normally be. This is great for conversational tours.
• Six to Eight Passengers: This requires more significant changes. We extend the vehicle's chassis and add two long, side-facing benches in the back. This "shuttle" style is extremely popular for hotels, resorts, and airports. For a client in the Maldives, we built 8-seaters to shuttle guests and their luggage from the seaplane dock to their villas. Because it operates on a private, flat, low-speed route, we could maximize capacity safely.

These modifications turn the tuk-tuk from a simple taxi into a specialized people-mover.

It's important to remember that these higher-capacity models are usually intended for private use in controlled environments, not for public roads where regulations might limit seating.

What Safety and Comfort Limits Should Buyers Consider?

You want to fit as many passengers as possible to maximize revenue. But overloading a vehicle designed for fewer people is a major safety risk and can lead to breakdowns.

Always respect the vehicle's maximum payload capacity, not just the number of seats. Higher capacity models must have a reinforced frame, upgraded brakes, and proper weight distribution to ensure stability. Overloading a standard model is dangerous and voids the warranty.

As a manufacturer, safety is my primary concern. Simply adding more seats to a standard tuk-tuk is a recipe for disaster. When a client asks for a 6-seater, my engineering team immediately recalculates everything. The vehicle's weight and center of gravity change completely. To do it right, we must upgrade key components. The chassis needs to be stronger to handle the extra weight without flexing. The braking system needs to be more powerful, often stepping up from drum brakes to disc brakes.

Weight also directly impacts performance. A client in Kenya wanted to use a standard 3-seater model as a 5-person taxi in a hilly area. I had to explain that the motor would overheat and the battery would drain incredibly fast. We estimated a range reduction of over 20%, making it impractical for a full day's work. More importantly, the vehicle would be unstable on inclines. Instead, we proposed a model with a stronger motor and a more robust frame designed for that load. Don't just count seats; look at the vehicle's official payload rating. A safe limit for a standard e-tuk tuk is around 300-350 kg. For a 6-seater, that needs to increase to 500 kg or more, which requires a fundamentally different vehicle design.

Which Passenger Capacity Works Best for B2B Applications?

You see all these options, but you're not sure which one will bring the best return on investment. The ideal choice depends entirely on how you plan to use the vehicle.

For city taxi fleets, the 3-passenger model is most efficient. For tourist operators and hotel shuttles operating on private grounds, 4 to 8-passenger models are more profitable per trip, turning transport into a key part of the customer experience.

The fun part of my job is matching the right vehicle to a client's business model. There is no single "best" capacity; it's all about the application. Based on hundreds of deals, here is what I've learned works best for different business types:

I always ask my B2B clients to first define their primary route and customer. Is it a short, fixed loop or a dynamic city-wide service? Are you selling a ride or an experience? Answering these questions almost always points directly to the right passenger capacity. Don't forget to check local regulations, as they can sometimes be the deciding factor, especially for use on public roads.

Заключение

The right electric tuk-tuk capacity depends on your business. Standard 3-seaters are for city taxis, while custom 4-to-8-seaters are perfect for tours and private shuttles.