Bajaj Chetak Electric launched at ₹ 1 lakh

With the launch of the Chetak Electric, Bajaj Auto has upped the ante by directly entering the electric two-wheeler segment with a premium product; bookings open in Pune & Bengaluru from 15th January at ₹2,000.

After revealing the product in October last year, Bajaj has finally launched the Chetak Electric in two versions - Urbane and Premium. While the entry-level Urbane Edition is priced at ₹ 1 lakh, the Premium Edition range carries a price tag of ₹ 1.15 lakh (all prices are ex-showroom, Pune). Initially, the Chetak Electric will be available exclusively in Pune & Bengaluru. It will be sold via select KTM dealerships (4 in Pune & 13 in Bengaluru) and deliveries are expected to begin by the end of February 2019. As for the test rides, they will be available by the end of this month. Bookings open tomorrow at 12:00 PM and can either be made online or at the select KTM dealerships.

Coming to the scooter's specs, the Chetak Electric draws its power from a 4kW BLDC motor. The motor's powered by a 3kWh IP67-rated (water-resistance rating) Li-ion battery (fixed, non-swappable) and develops 5.47bhp (peak power) and 16Nm of torque. Bajaj is offering an overall 3-Year/50,000km warranty on the scooter, inclusive of the battery pack. To add more incentive for buyers, the scooter's price includes the cost of a home charging station. Speaking of charging, the Chetak Electric can also be charged using a regular 5A home socket. Charging time (for 100% charge) is pegged at around 5 hours.

Bajaj claims the Chetak Electric has been developed keeping performance in mind. So, it offers two riding modes – Eco & Sport – and an intuitive 'kick-down' mode. To ensure usage in Sport Mode does not take a toll on the riding range, the Chetak Electric even gets an onboard regenerative braking system (braking energy recharges the battery). In Eco Mode, the Chetak Electric is capable of riding 95+ km, while in Sport Mode, the claimed range is 85+ km.

As mentioned above, the Chetak Electric is a premium offering from Bajaj. Therefore, to justify the claim, it features a steel body. This makes it the first electric scooter in the country to get an all-metallic body. As part of the thorough makeover, the Chetak Electric also gets a list of pretty swanky & upmarket features like an LED headlamp (with DRLs), feather-touch activated switchgear, sequential scrolling LED blinkers (rear), soft-closing glove box, a dampened seat closing mechanism & keyless operation. 

The premium treatment is also accompanied by a healthy dose of modern equipment such as a digital instrument cluster, front disc brakes, monoshock rear & single-arm front suspension, 12-inch alloy wheels, tubeless tyres, etc. To help the rider get out of tight parking spots, Bajaj has also equipped the Chetak with a dedicated Reverse Assist Mode. Like most modern electric scooters, the Chetak Electric also gets connected features that can be controlled via the Chetak mobile app.  

Here's a look at the differences between the Chetak Urbane & Premium Edition versions:

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Bajaj Chetak Electric: What you need to know