The Chetak was an important product in the Indian two-wheeler history. It was responsible for shining the limelight on Bajaj.

Taking that into consideration, when Bajaj witnessed the piqued interest for EVs, it chose to bring back the Chetak. It was a gamble but it paid off.

Here’s all there is to know about Chetak Electric – 

Introduction

The design language is neo-retro. The scooter has smooth lines running all over its body. Just like its predecessor, the Bajaj Chetak bikes have metallic body panels. The electric scooter has a steel frame. The scooter is equipped with 12-inch precision-machined alloy wheels. The front wheel has a single suspension unit. The suspension unit is mounted on one side of the front wheel. The rear wheel is paired with a single monoshock suspension unit.

The scooter offers a range of 85 – 95 KMs on a full charge (which takes 5 hours). The electronically limited top speed of the scooter is 70 KMPH. The continuous power output of the motor is 3800 W. The peak power output of the motor is 4,080 W. The peak torque produced by the motor is 16Nm.

Bajaj equipped the scooter with a front disc braking unit. The rear wheel, however, is paired with a drum braking unit.  To keep the rider safe, Bajaj made regenerative brakes a standard feature for the scooter. And to make nighttime operations easy, all switches on the scooter are backlit! The scooter is available in a single variant but entails six colour options.

The official MSRP (ex-showroom) for the Chetak is Rs. 1, 66,771*. Almost all lenders offer two-wheeler loans for the scooter. You can apply for Two Wheeler loan at the lowest interest rates.

The battery pack

The motor of the scooter relies on a 3kWh lithium-ion battery pack. It has an IP67 rating.

Available ride modes

The scooter is programmed with two ride modes. They are sport and eco. In Eco mode, the scooter can run for 95 KMs per charge. In sport mode, the scooter can run for 85 KMs.

Charging

The scooter has a built-in charger. It is hidden beneath the seat. The location of charging cable is in the front storage compartment. The charging cable can be plugged into a 5 – ampere power outlet. The charger, however, doesn’t support fast charging. 

Battery pack operational life

The official stance of Bajaj Auto is that the battery pack will last for a good seventy thousand kilometres before it would need to be replaced. The battery pack is managed by the onboard Intelligent Battery Management System developed by Bajaj Auto. The IBMS efficiently and safely controls the charging and discharging of the battery pack. Hence heating issues and fire risks are mitigated.

Ride quality

The scooter rides better than all available IC engine-powered scooters in India. The riding stance of the scooter is upright. One would enjoy the plush ride offered by the scooter with or without a pillion rider. The scooter handles really well during overtakes and cornering.

Available space

A lot of space is available for the rider to keep their legs. Furthermore, one also has lots of room for luggage on the floorboard. The under-seat storage space is adequate for a half-face helmet and knickknacks.

Seat comfort

The seat unit is contoured, spacious and well padded.

Available features

  • Round LCD instrument cluster with a monochrome theme.
  • Sequential LED turn indicators.
  • All-LED headlamp unit with an integrated LED DRL.
  • LED tail lamp unit.
  • Front storage compartment with a soft-open feature.
  • The seat unit is paired with the soft close feature.
  • Smartphone connectivity via a dedicated app to access ride-related information, GPS navigation, and scooter location.
  • Key fob with feature to engage the horn and indicators remotely.
  • The scooter is also equipped with a dedicated USB charging port. 
  • The scooter is also offered with a reverse mode for easy parking in tight spaces.