Affordable variant of Bajaj Chetak may be launched next month, price will be around Rs 1 lakh only

Bajaj Auto is going to introduce a new variant of its Chetak Electric Scooter next month. Bajaj Chetak received a comprehensive update earlier this year, but with it, the prices also saw a hike.

The new Chetak variant is expected to be an entry-level version and could be priced around Rs 1 lakh (ex-showroom), making it more affordable than the Urban variant. Bajaj Chetak is currently priced between ₹1.23 lakh, going up to ₹1.47 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Rakesh Sharma, executive director of Bajaj Auto, confirmed the news to the media during the most recent earnings call. Sharma stated that the new offering will have more "mass appeal" while withholding too many specifics. A hub motor and a smaller battery pack might be included in the new entry-level Chetak to control costs, which would help the manufacturer with pricing.

There is a need for a more affordable model because the prices of electric scooters have recently increased. Prices have gone up everywhere since the FAME subsidy ended and an EMPS incentive was put in place that is only valid through July of this year. To discourage customers, however, the majority of manufacturers have resorted to small price increases.

Additionally, the more affordable Bajaj Chetak will be able to keep up with its rivals including the TVS iQube, Ola S1X and the new Ather Rizta. The company is aggressively expanding its presence in the country with the sales and distribution of Chetak and the e-scooter is now available in 164 cities through 200 experiential centres.