Notwithstanding the controversies preventing the market introduction of Bajaj RE60 quadricycle, the Pune-based automaker is already contemplating a variant for personal use. Government of India approved quadricycles in 2013 under a new vehicle category only for commercial purposes.
A bunch of PILs (Public Interest Litigation) at various courts across the country have been deterring the company from launching RE60 in India for commercial purposes. These PILs claim that vehicle is not safe enough and it threatens the livelihood of three-wheeler drivers who need to upgrade their licenses to drive a quadricycle.
Bajaj, the only company which is ready with a quadricycle for India, is losing out heavily since the INR 550 crore project is not making money even after the product development is complete. Talking to Business Standard, CEO Rajiv Bajaj said that a different format of the quardricycle is possible in the personal format.
A RE60 variant for personal use is possible, says the company but the existing legal battle is proving to be a huge dampener.He argues that while three wheelers are allowed for personal use and two wheelers are given commercial permit in some states, why can’t a quadricycle like RE60 be a personal mode of transport.
Bajaj RE60 is powered by a 216 cc single-cylinder petrol engine which is tuned to deliver a power output of around 20 hp. The low-cost four wheeler is claimed to deliver a mileage of 35 kmpl.
If the case pending at the Supreme Court regarding the PILs ends in Bajaj’s favor, we could finally witness the launch of RE60. Prices are estimated to be between INR 1.5-2.0 lakhs (ex-showroom). A Bajaj RE60 quadricycle variant for personal use would be cheaper alternative to Eicher-Polaris Multix which is already on sale.
Via – Business-standard.com
