Bajaj has been working on a low-cost version of its Chetak EV for some time now and this scooter has just been spied testing.
- Similar design to existing Chetak
- Gets a new hub motor
- Could have lower performance
The existing Bajaj Chetak uses a mid-mounted motor with a set-down gearbox integrated into the swingarm that sends drive to the rear wheel. The Pune-based company is now working on replacing this with a more cost-effective hub motor.
The video footage of the scooter spied testing doesn’t show any other noticeable changes to the design, with the Chetak still carrying the same clean and handsome, albeit inspired lines. One other area where Bajaj could be looking to save costs is by shifting over to plastic bodywork from the existing metal. However, the metal body is one of the Chetak’s signature calling cards and such a shift could also prove quite expensive from a manufacturing standpoint. This is something that will only be confirmed with time.
As for performance, hub motors are generally considered to be lower performance options, but the likes of the TVS iQube have already proved that they can offer a strong level of performance. Moreover, with its 63kph top speed, the existing Chetak is already down on its main rivals, so hopefully Bajaj will be able to retain similar levels of performance with the more affordable variant.
As far as the battery pack goes, the Chetak is also on the lower end of the segment with a 2.9kWh unit, so Bajaj may not have much leeway in offering a smaller pack to save cost. That being said, the Chetak proved to be quite efficient in our tests when we compared it to its main rivals from Ather, Ola and TVS.
The Bajaj Chetak has had a roller coaster of a ride when it comes to pricing since its debut in late 2019. When the bike was first launched, it was the most affordable of the quality, made-in-India electric scooters. However, by 2022, it received so many price hikes that it ended up being among the most expensive of the lot.
More recently, Bajaj announced a big discount for the Chetak, and at Rs 1.3 lakh (ex-showroom), it is back to being among the most affordable of the high-quality, made-in-India e-scooters. With ever-changing EV subsidies, it remains to be seen how Bajaj prices this low-cost Chetak when it finally goes on sale.