Over two decades after pulling out its last scooter from the market Bajaj Auto has made a comeback in the segment with the launch of an all-electric Chetak, the brand that made it India's biggest two-wheeler company.
The price of the Chetak will be announced at a later date at the time of its commercial launch, but Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto said that the scooter will be priced attractively. The scooter will be commercially launched in January, 2020.
Designed on the lines of the original Chetak, the popular geared scooter of the 1960s and 70s, the battery-powered scooter has been designed and developed in-house by Bajaj Auto.
Bajaj Auto has become the first internal combustion engine two-wheeler company to launch an all-electric two-wheeler in India. Hero Motocorp and TVS Motor Company are in different stages of launching and developing such electric two-wheelers.
The electric Chetak is manufactured at the Chakan plant of Bajaj near Pune which is where it produces the KTM, Pulsar and Avenger range of motorcycles. The electric Chetak went into production in September.
Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari, and CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, were present for the launch.
The Chetak features a horseshoe shaped LED headlight with DRLs, feather touch activated electronic switches and sequential scrolling LED blinkers. A large digital console intuitively displays vehicle information.
The Chetak is powered by a lithium-ion battery with NCA cells. The battery is charged using a standard household 5-15 amp electrical outlet which will come at a nominal cost, said the company.
The Chetak offers two drive modes (eco and sport) and a reverse assist mode. There is also a regenerative braking system that converts braking heat into kinetic energy thereby maximizing the range.
The Chetak will be sold through the network of probiking showrooms which currently sells the KTM range. The scooter will be first sold in Pune and Bengaluru to check the response in connection with the charging ecosystem.
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