IKEA opened its first store in India in Hyderabad on 9 August 2018. The company announced that 20 percent of the new store’s delivery fleet would consist of solar-powered electric rickshaws that are distinctly painted in bright, multicolour prints and IKEA’s blue and yellow branding. 4,000 solar panels installed on the store’s roof will charge the vehicles, and any surplus energy generated will go towards lighting and other uses in the store.
Using the iconic three-wheeler vehicles is not just a gimmick as the company believes that the narrow dimensions and maneuverability makes rickshaws ideal to navigate Hyderabad’s traffic and narrow roads.
