Bajaj Auto launches electric Chetak at aggressive Rs 100,000 pricing

Three months after it revealed its electric Chetak scooter, the Pune-based Bajaj Auto today announced an aggressive pricing of Rs 100,000  (ex-showroom Pune and Bangalore) for the green two-wheeler. Bookings start tomorrow, January 15, on the Chetak website. The Chetak will initially be sold via KTM dealerships - 13 in Bangalore and four in Pune. The scooter will be available for test rides by the end of the month.

The Indian brand’s first all-electric scooter is one of the most-awaited launches of 2020. The electric scooter is available in two variants - Urbane (Rs 100,000) and the Premium that costs Rs 115,000. The Premium model gets additional metallic colour options, a tan/light tan seat, metallic-coloured wheels and a disc brake at the front. The Urbane model, meanwhile, misses out on the metallic colour option and uses a drum at the front.

The first deliveries of the Chetak will be made in Pune and Bangalore before it is made available in major metros like Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. The Chetak will be sold from via existing KTM outlets. There is also a customer centre in Pune for customers to experience and test ride the Chetak, but it can’t be bought from there. Test ride scooters will reach dealers by the end of this month.

Rakesh Sharma, executive director, Bajaj Auto, said that a service of the Chetak will cost 75 percent less than that of a regular IC-engined scooter and will include minor maintenance checks.

The new Chetak is powered by a 3.8kW/4.1kW (continuous/peak power) electric motor, which sends power to the rear wheel via a unique automated transmission. The company has said that the Intuitive Kick Down Mode it has will supply an additional surge of power when required. This motor derives power from a lithium-ion battery pack that claims to deliver a real-world range of 95km in Eco Mode and 85km in Sport mode. 

For reference, Ather Energy’s 450 has a 3.3kW/5.4kW (continuous/peak power) motor that has a claimed top speed of 80kph. The claimed range on the Ather ranges from 55-75km, depending on the riding mode. Torque on the Ather stands at 20.5Nm as compared to the 16Nm the Chetak produces.

Bajaj Auto is also offering a warranty of 3 years/50,000km on the IP67-rated battery. The charge time on the Chetak is a claimed 5 hours for 100 percent and 1 hour for 25 percent. The charging will be provided with the scooter and the installation will be carried out by a trained technician at the customer’s house.

Bajaj Auto has equipped the Chetak e-scooter with features like ‘feather-touch’ switchgear, full-LED lighting and digital console. In addition, the company has used high-quality materials on the mirror stalks, side stand and pillion foot pegs, further underlining its premium positioning. The Chetak will also come with one year of data subscription for free that will allow users to access the scooter’s charge status, location and remaining range via the mobile phone application.

The closest rivals to the Chetak will be Ather’s 450 and 450X – as the former is currently priced at Rs 114,000 (on-road, Bangalore).