With the storm of EVs brewing, major automobile manufacturers are upgrading or developing their lineup of fully electric vehicles. Among them is Indian automobile manufacturer Bajaj, who had introduced its Qute quadricycle in 2012. The car was spotted with a QCar badge and left-hand-drive, suggesting that Bajaj is developing a Qute EV.
The standard Qute is equipped with a 216.6cc, DTS-I engine which makes 13PS of maximum power and 19Nm of peak torque. The quadricycle aims at being a cost-effective balance between two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws.
It is difficult to predict the power figures or capacity of the battery pack and electric motor, as Bajaj is yet to make an official announcement. The company has also not revealed the details of its latest fully electric two-wheeler, the Chetak Urbanite scooter, making it difficult to get a reference point.
Considering that the Qute is a compact car, it has limited under-floor space, as well as storage capacity. As per a report by Rushlane, Bajaj could install a battery pack under the rear seat of the car, but it would have to be small in dimension due to the lack of space.
Since electric powertrains are comparatively costlier than standard internal combustion engines (ICE), it is expected that the fully electric Qute will be priced higher than its petrol and CNG counterparts, which cost Rs 2.64 lakh and Rs 2.84 lakh respectively (both prices ex-showroom).
Considering that the test mule was spotted with a left-hand-drive, it is expected that Bajaj will sell the Qute EV in the international markets as well.
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