New Delhi: Over 13 years after it ceased production, Bajaj Auto has relaunched its iconic ‘Chetak’ scooter in an electric configuration. In an event in Delhi on Wednesday, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and NITI Aayog chief Amitabh Kant sat on two models of the electric Chetak, flanked by Rajiv Bajaj, the head of Bajaj Auto.
“We have decided to move towards electric vehicles (EV) and started its production in September at the Chakan plant,” Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto said at the event on Wednesday.
The electric scooter market in the country is probably the most viable option for automakers right now, with cars proving to be an expensive proposition to sell. This, however, comes naturally to Bajaj, and according to the company’s chief, “electric vehicles cannot be made at the click of a finger by anyone.”
The company plans to start selling electric scooters (e-scooter) under the Chetak brand January onwards from Pune and then move to Bengaluru; and after gauging the response, expand operations to other locations.
The e-scooter would be rolled out from the company’s Chakan plant and would be retailed from the company’s Pro-Biking dealerships.
The company also plans to export the model to various relevant markets in Europe from next year itself. The Electric Chetak offers a driving range of 95 km in ECO mode and 85 km in SPORTS mode.
