Currently indulged in launching “biggest ever Pulsar” on May 3rd, 2024, Bajaj Auto is also spearheading the exploration of alternative fuels for their 2W and 3W vehicles. The company’s interest in fuels other than petrol and electricity has landed them in Hydrogen and CNG realms and the company is working on both.
Hydrogen fuel is not something very common in Indian market. There are no Hydrogen-powered vehicles on sale in India and there never have been. A few car manufacturers in India have expressed their interest in Hydrogen fuel, but Bajaj is the first to explore possibilities of hydrogen powertrain in 2W and 3W vehicles.
The company is exploring hydrogen-powered powertrains under their Chetak Technology Ltd subsidiary. This way, Chetak intends to establish a major position for itself in Indian 2W market by being the first OEM in the Asian subcontinent to venture into Hydrogen powertrain territory. That said, Joy e-bike is developing a Hydrogen powered scooter it would be interesting to see which one of these will launch first.
The revelation came when Bajaj Auto appointed Abraham Joseph as the Managing Director of its subsidiary brand, Chetak Technology Limited (CTL). Announcing the change in leadership, one of Bajaj Auto’s statements was “CTL will explore the potential of hydrogen vehicles, further expanding Bajaj Auto’s ability to deliver technologically differentiated products.”
Previously, Abraham Joseph filled the position the CTO of Bajaj Auto Limited. A position that will now be filled by Ramtilak Ananthan who assumes the CTO role for Bajaj Auto. Ramtilak Ananthan has performed various roles at Bajaj Auto including VP of Bajaj’s R&D in 2013 and Head of Test & Validation at Bajaj Auto in 2019.
As of writing this article, we’re not sure what stage Chetak’s Hydrogen powertrain is in. Also, it is unsure whether Chetak is going for Hydrogen Fuel Cells or a Hydrogen IC engine. More likely to be the former.
While efforts in Hydrogen powertrains are set for future propositions, Bajaj is spearheading India’s CNG motorcycle portfolio. Factory-designed and developed CNG motorcycles have never been a thing in India. Bajaj will surely garner the title of the first Indian OEM to launch a CNG-equipped motorcycle.
Speculations suggest a launch timeline of June 2024. Testing for the same has commenced and we have seen quite a few spy shots already. This motorcycle could be based on its 110cc platform and will be positioned as the motorcycle with the least running cost.
Owing to its CNG nature, we expect it to yield good mileage (fuel efficiency) and a decent range on a single refill. This motorcycle will be targeted towards value-conscious buyers who need an economical commuter for their daily commute needs.