Bajaj Auto plots high-performance electric Chetak

A month ago, Bajaj revealed its first electric scooter and revived an iconic moniker with the new Chetak e-scooter. The unveil also witnessed the flag-off of the 3,000km-long ‘Chetak Electric Yatra’ that has just concluded in Pune in the presence of Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto.

At the event, Rajiv Bajaj revealed some very interesting information – the company is working on a performance-oriented version of the Chetak, which will be sold under the KTM or Husqvarna brand. Now KTM is no stranger to high-performance electric two-wheelers. The brand sells the Freeride E-XC – the electronic counterpart of the Freeride 250 R enduro bike – in international markets. And lest we forget, the manufacturer also revealed the E-Speed electric scooter concept at the 2013 Tokyo motor show, whose final product never saw the light of day.

However, KTM is now expected to use the Chetak platform to make its first electric scooter. The Chetak features retro-styling and is powered by a 4kW motor. We can also expect the KTM/Husqvarna iteration of the model to feature a much bolder and sharper design language with better performance; and, most likely, more premium hardware in terms of suspension and brakes. 

Expect Bajaj Auto, which has a very strong footprint in the export market, to think of introducing the high-performance Chetak in developed markets like Europe, where the electric scooter to take the battle to higher-priced products.

This high-performance scooter is still very much in its nascent stages, so a launch in the near future is unlikely. However, the Chetak is here and will go on sale in early 2020. 

Also read Bajaj Auto reveals its first EV – the electric Chetak scooter