We recently reported on the unfortunate demise of the Bajaj 3-wheeler from the American market due to slow sales. Happily, a new brand of funky 3-wheelers is set to make its debut in the U.S. by way of Thailand. Tuk Tuk North America (TTNA) reports that its vehicles are currently undergoing EPA and NHTSA testing for road-use approval, though its line of trikes is reportedly already for sale for off-road use. Available in a number of passenger, cargo and truck body styles, the Tuk Tuk comes equipped with either a 200cc or 650cc version of a newly-designed, liquid-cooled four-stroke powerplant. This replaces the original two-stroker from which the vehicle received its funny-sounding name. TTNA also reports that its vehicles are available with both automatic and manual transmissions. Interestingly, the options page of the TTNA site shows an LPG kit which would convert the engine to run on dual fuels -- both liquefied petroleum and gasoline.

[Source: Tuk Tuk North America]

Following up on my post this morning and last week about hybrid taxis in NYC and SF, reader Mehdi Hassan posted a comment about compressed natural gas (CNG) taxis in Bangladesh, where he lives. The "taxis" look somewhat different, as the standard taxi in Dhaka (Bangladesh's capitol) is a three-wheeled trike similar to Bangkok's tuktuks, but the gasoline versions were blamed for much of the pollution in the city. In 2001, a local company started to introduce a fleet of taxis that run on CNG. After initial issues with CNG refueling network and a ban on the two-stroke engines that powered the standard taxis, there are now tens of thousands of CNG taxis in Dhaka.

Pollution is a serious issue in Dhaka, as the World Health Organization estimates at least 15,000 people die in Bangladesh each year because of air pollution. If would be worse, but the main form of transportation in Dhaka is non-motorized cycle rickshaw, of which there are at least 320,000.

[Hat tip to Mehdi Hassan, Note: The photo is from India, not Blagladesh, but does show a CNG Tuktuk]