As opposed to the swingarm-mounted BLDC motor setup on current model, Bajaj Chetak spotted testing had a PMS hub motor
The Chetak brand was resurrected by Bajaj Auto making it their only EV offering. Even in the EV guise, Chetak brand is one of the most popular among e-scooters. In June 2023, Bajaj sold over 7K units. To boost sales envelope further, Bajaj is likely to re-launch Base trim of Chetak with a hub motor. Testing for the same has commenced.
Bajaj Chetak Spied Testing – Hub motor version more affordable?
With the advent of more competition in the market, Bajaj is fettling with Chetak to make it more appealing. To boost sales and pose an attractive price point, Bajaj even slashed prices for Chetak recently. Previously, Chetak was on offer in Base and Premium trims costing Rs. 1.22 lakh and Rs. 1.52 lakh respectively (all prices ex-sh).
With 2023 Chetak, Bajaj discontinued Base trim and slashed the prices of Premium trim by Rs. 22,00 down to Rs. 1.3 lakh (all prices ex-sh). A new Base trim could pose an appealing starting price of around Rs. 1.15 lakh (ex-sh). Bajaj intends to achieve this by replacing swingarm-mounted BLDC motor with a PMS hub motor.
Bajaj has already homologated this setup in a single variant too. Weirdly, there were two Bajaj Chetak test mules spotted together and only one of them featured a hub motor. But homologation documents show just one variant. Both Base and Premium trim are likely to get the same hub motor setup or just Base. Or Bajaj could only offer Premium trim on sale.
This should bring costs down along with making the whole setup less complicated and a wee bit lighter in weight. As per type-approval documents, this new hub motor has PMS architecture (Permanent Magnet Synchronous). There’s a new double-sided rear swingarm to hold this new hub motor as well.
Changes opposed to current model
In the document, peak power is mentioned as 42 kW, which could be a typo. Actual peak power might be 4.2 kW (5.63 bhp) along with rated power of 4 kW (5.36 bhp). Battery looks like the same unit which has 2.884 kWh of capacity (marketed as 2.9 kWh). Usable capacity is 2.489 kWh.
Current Bajaj Chetak quotes a top speed of 63 km/h and the new upcoming hub motor model will touch 60 km/h. Because of how torque of a hub motor is measured, Bajaj will definitely quote a very high figure. Type-approval document mentions 108 km of claimed range, which reflects with range figures of current Chetak on sale.
Apart from the new swingarm, there don’t seem to be any changes in componentry. Design looks identical between the new hub motor-equipped test mule and current Chetak on sale. Features like a full metal body, LED lighting, LCD digital instrument cluster, Bluetooth connectivity, and OTA updates will remain on offer. Dimensions include 1894 mm length, 725 mm width, 1132mm height and 1330 mm wheelbase. New Bajaj Chetak will have a gross weight of 283 kg. Upcoming Chetak with hub motor could launch in 2024.
