Aimed to be a highly desirable alternative to a conventional ICE Indian scooter, the Bajaj Chetak is produced at the brand’s Chakan facility (Pune) by an all-women workforce. Deliveries will be carried out in phases via KTM dealerships, starting with Pune itself.
Bajaj Auto is still going forward with its road tests and two examples (in metallic silver and red) have been spotted on public roads near the plant, without any camouflage. Images are credit to automotive enthusiast Kamlesh Jain.
The company recently concluded its ‘Chetak Electric Yatra’ campaign; a 3,500km ride across 10 cities in order to prove the scooter’s capability and reliability in normal Indian road and weather conditions. To make the product extra-desirable, the company will offer a standard warranty programme of 3 years/50,000km.
The all-electric Chetak will debut with a 4kW motor. The Li-ion battery pack is non-removable unlike the latest trend and has a claimed range of 85km in Sport mode and 95km in Eco. Even though it will be sold as a premium product in the Indian scooter segment, the company has confirmed that the price will not reach as much as Rs 1.5 lakh ex-showroom. In fact, the pricing will be “attractive rather than aggressive”.
In all probability, the pricing should be in the range of Rs 1.2 – 1.4 lakh ex-showroom; putting it against the likes of Ather 450, which is the best electric scooter currently on the market (arguably one of the best scooters on sale as well). Deliveries of the scooter will start by end of Jan 2020.
Being a relatively expensive offering, the Bajaj Chetak comes equipped with some goodies such as ‘feather touch’ switchgear, full-LED lights, digital instrument console and lots of premium material usage.
Along with showing off the new Chetak e-scooter, Bajaj Auto has also detailed its battery and service intervals. The new e-scooter will have a 15,000 km service interval which is much higher as that seen on its petrol powered counterparts.
The reason for this extended service interval is due to the fact that electric scooters comprise of fewer moving parts in its Drivetrain thereby resulting in lower wear and tear. The battery will be offered with a 3 year/50,000 km warranty with an approximate lifespan of 70,000 kms.
