Bajaj Chetak

The Bajaj Chetak is a motor scooter produced by the Indian Bajaj Auto Company. Past models were petrol powered (either 2 or 4-stroke). The modern version is electric (known as the Chetak Electric), and it is powered by a 4.2 kW BLDC Motor with a 2.89 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The scooter has a claimed top speed of 69 km/h (50 mph) and comes with a 90 km range.

History
Named after Chetak, the legendary horse of the Great Indian Warrior Maharana Pratap, the scooter’s original petrol version licensed production of the Italian Vespa Sprint. Chetak had absorbent waiting period, which sometimes had 10 years of waiting period was an affordable means of transportation for Indian urban upper middle class families for decades and is lovingly called Hamara Bajaj (Our Bajaj).

The Bajaj Chetak had design faults from the beginning with the main design fault being the vehicle not able to start when the fuel is in the dead zone, and hence the vehicle had to be tilted to the side to inject fuel mixture into the carburettor. Around 1980, the Vespa-licensed design was replaced with an all-new in-house design that shared the same general appearance and style. During its heyday, its chief competitor was LML NV made by LML India as a licensed copy of the Vespa PX 150. In the face of rising competition from bikes and cars, Chetak lost ground in India, and production was discontinued in 2005 as Bajaj Auto stopped manufacturing scooters altogether.

Chetak Electric
On 16 October 2019, Bajaj Auto unveiled a new electric version of their Chetak scooter under the Urbanite EV brand. The production of Chetak Electric started on September 25, 2019, at the Chakan plant of Bajaj Auto. It was initially launched in Pune (4 dealerships) and Bangalore (13 dealerships) in January 2020 and was sold through select KTM dealerships.

Opening of Akurdi Plant

Keeping in mind the increasing demand for EVs in India, Chetak Technology Ltd inaugurated their newly-built EV manufacturing plant at Pune’s Akurdi on the birth anniversary of the late Shri Rahul Bajaj in October 2019. The plant, which is one of the largest in the world, has a capacity to manufacture 500,000 electric two-wheelers per annum.

As of 2023, the scooter is being sold in 100 cities and has over 40+ stores serving as exclusive Experience Centres.

Features
Chetak Electric is fully chargeable (100%) in four hours and can be charged with a power 220V, 5 A, 50 Hz AC supply. The scooter comes with three riding modes (including a reverse mode) to allow the rider to navigate traffic easily and can run for 90+ km in Eco Mode (Under IDC as per AIS 040). From an aesthetic standpoint, it has a carved-in-steel, all-metal body with flush-fitted panels.

Other leading features include an IP67 water-resistance rating, a beltless solid gear drive, LED headlamps with integrated horseshoe-shaped DRLs and sequential LED blinkers, a keyless function, and combo brakes. Bajaj also enabled the Intelligent Battery Management System (IBMS) on Chetak Electric to control charge and discharge seamlessly.

Other Variants
Urbane

The original Urbane variant came with a drum brake setup at the rear and is available in two colour options. The variant is now discontinued.

Premium Edition

The Premium Edition features a matte finish and vibrant metallic accents on the scooter’s body and wheels. It is also equipped with additional features, like a Coloured LCD Console, Body Coloured Mirrors, and a Dual-tone, tan-coloured seat. It is identifiable from other variants due to the unique 'Chetak Electric' badge on the side panels.

Chetak Electric 2023 Edition

The 2023 Edition comes with a premium two-toned seat, body-coloured rear view mirrors, a satin black grab rail and matching pillion footrest castings. Many of the scooter’s elements, such as the headlamp casing, blinkers, and central trim elements, are painted black in this edition.

Specifications
The Chetak Electric comes with an ARAI-certified range of 108 km on a new, fully-charged battery. This translates to a real-world range of 90 km. The charging duration for the scooter to reach 100% is 4h, for 80% is 2.75h and for 25% is 0.75h.

The Chetak Electric has a Tubular Steel Under Bone type of frame and comes with a drum brake in its rear. In the front, it has a Single-sided Leading Link suspension while the back is equipped with an Offset Mono Shock.