Bajaj Auto, the country’s fourth largest two-wheeler maker, could advance the commercial roll-out date for the ambitious electric three-wheeler by two years.
Speaking to shareholders at the company’s 10th Annual General Meeting Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto, said that the company had made some significant gains on the product putting Bajaj Auto in a position to possibly launch the vehicle next year itself.
Bajaj said, “I have already driven the product and I am very satisfied with it”. The Pune-based company had earlier projected to launch the electric three-wheeler in 2020.
While pricing of the electric three-wheeler will be known at the time of its launch it is expected to be more expensive than a petrol-powered three-wheeler. Last year Kinetic launched a similar product priced at Rs 1.28 lakh.
Bajaj Auto, which is also India’s largest three-wheeler manufacturer, has a 90 percent share of the non-diesel passenger three-wheeler market.
“It is true that our share could have been more than what it is had more permits been issued (by states). However, we have reason to believe that new permits of as many as 50,000 will be issued over the rest of the year”, said Bajaj.
Maharashtra, Delhi and Karnataka will issue the new permits. Maharashtra in fact has decided to do away with permits for passenger three-wheelers.
Electric autorickshaws are already plying in Delhi sold by Chinese brands. TVS Motors and Kinetic Motors have developed such e-rickshaws independently. Plans are afoot to extend this to other cities which are dealing with pollution problems.
Bajaj Auto is also aggressively pushing for an electric foray into the two-wheeler space. A commercial launch of a product is likely around 2020. A number of companies are already engaged in development and sale of electric two-wheelers (scooters); however, barring one company no company has ventured into developing electric motorcycles.
The government of India has devised an ambitious roadmap to electrify all vehicles by 2032. Municipal corporations and state transport undertakings have started buying electric taxis and buses for commercial use. Charging stations, just like petrol pumps, are being set up nationally.
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