India's indigenous two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto, which launched its first Chetak EV bike in January of 2021, would rollout production of electric scooters from its brand new manufacturing plant by the middle of 2022.
The company is investing Rs.300 crore in the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located at Akurdi in Pune. Production from the facility, which is spread across half a million square feet, would commence in full swing from middle of next year. Once it goes on-stream, the facility can manufacture 500,000 electric vehicles each year.
Bajaj Chetak electric vehicle - specs and costs
The Chetak electric comes in two variants — Urbane and Premium. Apart from different color options, the main difference is the inclusion of drum brakes on the former, and disc brakes on the latter. The rest of the specifications are identical, which include a 4kW motor that is capable of producing 16 Nm of torque. A 3kWh lithium-ion battery powers the scooter, and has an estimated range of 95+ km in the eco mode, and 85+ km on the faster sport mode. The top speed is around 80kmph.
Bajaj Auto also increased the price of its electric two-wheeler. The Chetak, a name that was tantamount to affordable personal transportation, comes in a couple of variants – Urbane and Premium and are now priced at Rs. 1,42,620 and Rs 1,44,620 respectively. This incidentally is the second price hike over two months.
Bajaj Auto EV plant - amongst the biggest in India
In a statement, Bajaj Auto also confirmed that it would be debuting a new electric scooter next year. The bike is a joint venture between the company and Husqvarna, the Swedish-origin Austrian firm that designs, engineers and manufactures bikes. A report published in 91Mobiles had claimed the sighting of such a vehicle in Pune.
The Akurdi plant in Pune is where Bajaj Auto began manufacture of Vespa scooters under license from Piaggio in 1959. Following its success, the company launched its own brand of Chetak scooters from the plant before shifting production to centers in Chakan and Waluj in Maharashtra and Pantnagar in Uttarakhand.
The statement says the new facility will have robotic and automated manufacturing technology, encompassing everything from logistics to material handling. Fabrication and painting too would be done within the Akurdi plant, which at one time used to serve as the company's R&D center.
The investments in cutting edge technology were made with a clear product mix in mind as well as higher worker ergonomics and process efficiency, the press release said adding that the its suppliers would be investing a further Rs.250 crore as part of expanding their electric vehicle portfolio.
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