Sri Lanka’s three-wheeler sector is central to mobility, informal livelihoods, last-mile connectivity and tourism. The Department of Motor Traffic recorded 1,201,842 motor tricycles in the vehicle population in 2025. The current fossil fuel-based three-wheeler fleet is not optimal for Sri Lanka, given its high fuel bill, exposure to imported fuel prices, air pollution, noise, emissions and high operating costs, which directly reduce driver incomes. Transitioning to electric three-wheelers can address
many of these issues by lowering fuel and maintenance costs, improving roadside air quality, reducing noise pollution and cutting emissions, while also reducing the country’s dependence on imported fuel.

The project on Mainstreaming E-Mobility Through the Conversion of Tuk-Tuks to Electric Vehicles, implemented by the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and UNDP, has successfully demonstrated the practical potential of converting the fossil fuel-based three wheelers into electric three-wheelers and its associated benefits, including reduced fuel costs, lower maintenance needs and emissions reductions.