The Chetak EV low-cost variant that Bajaj has been developing for some time has recently been spotted testing. The current Bajaj Chetak has a mid-mounted motor that drives the rear wheel through a set-down gearbox built into the swingarm. The Pune-based business is currently working to swap out this motor for a more affordable hub motor.
The scooter was spotted testing in a video, but there are no other obvious design modifications visible; the Chetak still has the same elegant, though inspired, clean lines. Another area where Bajaj may be aiming to cut costs is by switching from the current metal bodywork to plastic. However, the metal body is one of Chetak‘s distinctive selling points, so such a change might also end up being rather expensive in terms of manufacture. The validity of this will only be established through time.
Hub motors are typically thought of as having lesser performance levels, although models like the TVS iQube have already shown that they are capable of providing a high degree of performance. Furthermore, the current Chetak’s 63kph top speed puts it below some of its primary competitors; ideally, Bajaj can maintain the same levels of performance with the less expensive model.
Features of the all-new Bajaj Chetak EV
With a 2.9kWh battery pack, the Chetak EV is also at the lower end of the market, thus Bajaj may not have much room to offer a smaller pack in an effort to reduce costs. Despite this, the Chetak performed admirably in our tests when compared to its top competitors from Ather, Ola, and TVS.
Price-wise, the Bajaj Chetak EV has seen a roller-coaster ride since its release in late 2019. When the bike was first introduced, it was the most reasonably priced among the high-quality electric scooters made in India. But by 2022, it had undergone so many price increases that it was now one of the most expensive options available.
Recently, Bajaj announced a significant discount for the Chetak EV, bringing its price down to Rs 1.3 lakh (ex-showroom), making it once again one of the most reasonably priced of the premium, made-in-India e-scooters. It would be interesting to see how Bajaj pricing this affordable Chetak when it finally goes on sale given the constantly shifting nature of EV subsidies.
