The crowd cheered Chetak in one voice. The aura around them, the environment and the machine, were all electric that day. This is how we will remember it. The day when everyone at Bajaj welcomed their fellow team mates who concluded a memorable and tough journey across India on an electric scooter. The press conference had speeches not just from the Chairman and CEO but the people who were part of the assembly, design and of course, the riders from Yatra that Bajaj concluded. Everyone was felicitated. Something that will go down in history. Witnessing this today for couple of hours and we already feel a part of history.
Also, a quick reminder what the Chetak is made of this time.
The Chetak was unveiled in New Delhi on 16th October 2019. To commemorate the event, the Chetak Electric Yatra was flagged off by Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Hon Minister for Road Transport & Highways, from New Delhi. Riders on 20 Chetaks have travelled more than 3000 kms through North and Western India to finally reach Pune. It has already travelled from Delhi to Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, the Chetak Samarak in Chittorgarh, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Panaji before reaching Pune on the 14th of November 2019. The Yatra was welcomed and felicitated by Mr Rahul Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Auto Ltd at its Corporate office in Akurdi today.
The new Chetak features a hypnotic horseshoe shaped LED headlight with DRLs, feather touch activated electronic switches and sequential scrolling LED blinkers. A large digital console intuitively displays vehicle information with crisp clarity. Moreover, fine craftsmanship is visible in the smallest of details – from handlebar grips, levers and mirrors, to the softly opening of the glove box and the damped seat closure mechanism.
At the heart of the new Chetak is an IP67 rated high-tech Lithium Ion battery with NCA cells, the battery is easily charged using a standard household 5-15 amp electrical outlet. The on-board Intelligent Battery Management System (IBMS) controls charge and discharge seamlessly. Additionally, an elegant home-charging station is available at a nominal cost.
The Chetak offers 2 drive modes (Eco, Sport) and a reverse assist mode to ensure that all the demands of a rider are satisfied. Regenerative braking via an intelligent braking system that converts braking heat into kinetic energy helps maximise its range.
The Chetak offers a fully-connected riding experience by virtue of being embedded with mobility solutions like data communication, security and user authentication that will enable customers to have a seamless ownership and riding experience. The Chetak mobile app gives the rider a comprehensive overview of all aspects of his / her vehicle and its ride history.
A rigid frame clad with sheet metal body panels and a tubular single sided suspension vest the Chetak with the uncompromising strength and durability that it is famous for. The powertrain similarly employs a unique single-sided cast aluminium swing arm which houses the traction motor that drives the wheel through a high-efficiency automated gear box.
Quiet, clean, comfortable and convenient to ride; elegant yet understated; robust yet refined. As much as riding the Chetak is an almost surreal experience, so also is the process of its creation. The new Chetak is made at a state-of-the-art dust-free, temperature controlled facility at Chakan to exacting standards using the best materials and cutting edge robotic technology. With a work force comprising 80% women, this is truly a production line of the future!
Imagining people who spent more than half a decade or probably more working on this project and watching it come back into the gates after an iconic ride around half the country is clearly a momentous occasion. With that same bated breath, we wait to ride it.
