Bajaj Chetak is developing a Hydrogen-powered vehicle for the far future. But the company needs to up its EV game today to carve out an affordable variant to rival the likes of Ola S1 X+. That’s exactly what Bajaj is doing. A more affordable variant with a dedicated electric drive has leaked ahead of launch. Let’s take a look at what’s what.
EV onslaught in India is getting fiercer by the day. More so with electric scooters that have seen the greatest acceptance owing to their unisex appeal. Bajaj has been among the first premium electric mobility solutions providers in India with its subsidiary, Chetak Technology. With time, Bajaj has thoroughly overhauled Chetak in-keeping with 2024 trends.
However, there is another trend that is gaining more prominence in India. Which is affordable electric scooters. Bajaj is taking a shot at this growing genre with an affordable variant of its Chetak. Ahead of launch, it has been showcased to dealers. New spy shots have leaked, which uncover most attributes expected with this upcoming vehicle.
There seems to be new colours with this cheaper variant that are a lot more vibrant and colourful. In pictures, we can see a very bright Cyan shade that should appeal to young buyers looking to express their personality. Major hardware changes and a down-sized features list help to adhere to an affordable price point positioned below Urbane variant.
Gone are alloy wheels and disc brakes and we can see stylised steel wheels and drum brakes in their place. The fully digital TFT Instrument screen from Chetak Premium is replaced with a circular LCD unit that Chetak originally debuted with. Lockable glovebox makes way to two open cavities on this new variant.
The Key slot for a smart key has been replaced with a conventional keyhole. Under seat storage looks like it is similar to current Chetak Urbane and Premium on sale. Also similar is the single-sided suspension systems at the front and back.
Where powertrain is concerned, Bajaj Chetak cheaper variant seems to be powered by a mid-drive motor. This is interesting because earlier Chetak test samples were spotted with rear hub motor for cost-effectiveness. Battery is likely to be the same 2.9 kWh unit that is offered with Chetak Urbane promising a range of 113 km. Or something smaller still.
For reference, top-spec Chetak Premium gets a larger 3.2 kWh battery promising a range of 126 km on a single charge. Prices for Chetak start from Rs. 1.23 lakh (ex-sh) for base Urbane and Rs. 1.47 lakh (ex-sh) for top-spec Premium variant. When launched, this new affordable Bajaj Chetak variant might cost under Rs. 1 lakh (ex-sh).
Also read – Honda Electric Activa launch likely in 2025
This post was last modified on May 1, 2024 8:37 am