Bajaj's Ethanol-powered Motorcycle to be Showcased in September
Bajaj Auto could showcase its ethanol-based motorcycles and three-wheelers next month, with launches to follow in the current financial year.
By Kanika Sachdeva
The Bajaj Freedom 125 is the world's first mass-market CNG motorcycle launched last month at Rs 95,000 (ex-showroom, India). That was Bajaj's first step toward cleaning up the air and introducing more accessible and eco-friendly urban transport. Now, the company has reportedly taken the next step to make two-wheelers run cleaner and better, deciding to focus on ethanol.
As per a report, Bajaj plans to unveil 'ethanol-powered motorcycles and three-wheelers next month, with launches set for FY25'. Moreover, a more affordable variant of the Chetak based on an all-new platform is also in the works, which is expected to arrive by the end of this financial year. Bajaj is also working on hydrogen-powered vehicles; however, this seems far from reality for our market.
Also Read: Bajaj Freedom Launched in India at Rs 95,000, World's First CNG Hybrid Motorcycle
Coming back to the ethanol bike, we expect the production-spec bike to be launched in India by March 2025. It also remains to be seen whether the upcoming ethanol-powered Bajaj bike will be all-new like the Freedom 125 or an existing model engineered to run on ethanol. It is highly likely that Bajaj will go for the second option, for it will help the company to keep costs in check.
While Bajaj's Ethanol-powered motorcycle will be revealed in due course, TVS had already introduced the country’s first ethanol-based Apache RTR 200 4V back in July 2019. Touted as the RTR 200 Fi E100, the ethanol-powered TVS bike featured a 197cc single-cylinder engine developing the same 21bhp and 18.1Nm of torque as the normal Apache RTR 200 4V. But, the fuel the bike required to run on should be either 100 per cent ethanol or a blend of 80 per cent ethanol and 20 per cent petrol.
Also Read: Bajaj Auto Could Launch Two New 400cc Triumph Bikes Before Festive Season
More Affordable Bajaj Freedom CNG Variant to Launch Soon?
Speaking of alternative fuels, Bajaj is set to expand its Freedom lineup with the launch of a more affordable version of the CNG bike and, unlike the Freedom 125, the more affordable motorcycle could target the 100cc commuter segment. While the launch date is under wraps, Bajaj could introduce the bike by this fiscal.
