[Urbanite] Bajaj Chetak is Now an Electric Scooter!

Urbanite: The New Electric Scooter from Bajaj Chetak!

The Bajaj Chetak is the first offering from the company’s newly launched electric mobility brand ‘Urbanite’.

Making a foray into electric vehicles, Bajaj Auto unveiled its new electric mobility brand ‘Urbanite’ with the launch of its first electric scooter, the Bajaj Chetak. This is the company’s comeback to scooters, a decade after it stopped making scooters to focus purely on motorcycles.

The new Bajaj Chetak will be available from January 2020, first in Pune, then Bengaluru, and then in other cities across the country. However, the brand Urbanite will see more scooters and even three-wheelers being launched.

The scooter has been designed and developed in-house and has been designed to resemble the original Chetak, which was an extremely popular geared scooter in the 1960s and 70s.

Bajaj has become the first mainstream Indian motorcycle brand to enter the electric space and simultaneously return to the scooter segment with its new Urbanite sub-division. And the first product from this brand is the Chetak – a nameplate that returns after almost 14 years.

Urbanite Variants and Modes

The new Bajaj Chetak will be available in two variants and offer a range of 85 kilometres and 95 kilometres. The battery on the scooter will be an IP67 rated high-tech Lithium-Ion battery with NCA cells, which will offer an in-city range of up to 100 km.

The company also revealed that the Chetak will come with an Intelligent Battery Management System that controls the charge and discharge seamlessly.

The bike also comes with advanced algorithms with edge computing that can evolve and optimise everything from throttle response to battery charging to extract maximum life from every electric, mechanical and chemical part of the vehicle.

It also comes in two driving modes: Eco and Sport along with reverse assist. The Chetak will also be fully connected, where riders can access information such as locating their Bajaj Chetak scooter, protecting it from theft and also receive notifications in case of an accident or unauthorised access. One can also set their music and read helpful riding tips from a connected device.

Production for the scooter began on September 25, 2019, and Bajaj has said that the electric Chetak’s price will be revealed at its Pune launch in January 2020.

The scooter will be positioned as a premium product and Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto was quoted as saying, “I hesitate to call it an aggressive price, but we’ll price it attractively. It’s not going to be as high as Rs 1.5 lakh.”

After Pune, Bajaj will move on to Bengaluru as the company wants to study market response before moving to other cities.

The scooter also qualifies for the FAME II subsidy.

Urbanite Motor and Range

The Chetak will use a 4kW electric motor and while exact battery specs have not been revealed so far, the e-scooter will use an IP67-rated lithium-ion battery pack.

Visuals shown from the manufacturing plant suggest that the battery pack may not be removable, but this needs to be confirmed. The e-scooter also has two riding modes – Eco and Sport – and it will have a reverse assist feature as well. Range is quoted at 85km and 95km in Sport and Eco modes, respectively. Bajaj points out that these figures were achieved through real-world testing within Pune city and that the ARAI test figures will be much higher.

The scooter has an in-built charger and the vehicle can be charged using a regular 5-ampere home power outlet. There will be no DC fast charging feature (Bajaj says the range is adequate enough to not require this feature) and a full charge will take around five hours. Bajaj says they will also sell a home-charging station at a ‘nominal cost’ and this charger will also show the amount of energy consumed during charging.

Bajaj Chetak Styling 

Bajaj has adopted a sleek yet retro styling for the Chetak. The curvy side panels and a wide front apron are contrasted by the contemporary multi-spoke alloy wheels. The face is reminiscent of the Yamaha Fascino, but the electric Chetak features LED lighting all around, with a neat LED DRL that outlines the shape of the headlight. The indicators have a scrolling function like what you see in new-age Audis and the switchgear is said to be ‘feather-touch activated’. A keyless start function also comes as standard.

Bajaj will offer the Chetak in six colours, including the classic ivory and gold seen here, which are void of any graphics to go with the retro-styling. Metal body panels are used here instead of fibre or plastic. The Chetak’s seat has a unique cantilever design that adds a touch of class without sacrificing practicality. Another retro touch is the inclusion of a glove box, but with a modern soft-close effect.

Bajaj has equipped the new Chetak with a fully digital instrument cluster that will display a host of information, but it isn’t a premium TFT unit as seen on the Ather. Decisions like this are expected to help Bajaj price the Chetak more competitively.
The e-scooter will have a number of connected features like vehicle parameter monitoring as well as security, and they are likely to be enabled via data connectivity. What is also expected is a special mobile app that gives the rider a comprehensive overview of many aspects of the vehicle and ride history.

The company will stick to its existing network to retail the Chetak e-scooter.

News Sources: The News Minute | AutoCar

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How does electric scooter from Bajaj Chetak propagate green vision?

Green vision has originated from the idea of being the environment’s best friend. Using an electric scooter does not only reduce the use of crude oils but also prevent air pollution. This is an excellent initiative by Bajaj Chetak.

Does the electric scooter run on battery?

Yes. The scooter is primarily run by the battery affixed along with the engine. The Urbanite battery ranges from 75 km to 100 km, depending upon the variant. This prevents the emission of hazardous smoke in the air. 

Are there any other products like electric scooters through which I can help the environment?

If you want to have a sustainable lifestyle, you have tonnes of options. Plantable wristbands, seed paper bundles, and recyclable post-it notes are only a few of the ways to help the ecosystem. 

Can I get the electric scooter in different colors?

Yes, you can. You don’t have to sacrifice your likes do become eco-friendly. There are six colors in which you can buy an electric scooter and prevent the environment from further harm. Using recycled paper products can also deter the environment from getting severely polluted.