Bike India

Best Bikes in India | No.1 Two Wheeler Magazine

  • Home
  • News
    • Upcoming Launches
    • Latest News
    • New Bike Launches
  • Reviews
    • First Ride
    • Road Test
    • Comparison
  • Features
  • Our Bikes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • NG Auto
    • AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA
    • CAR INDIA
    • COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
  • Brands

Bajaj Urbanite Chetak EV Things to Know

January 31, 2020 by Joshua Varghese Leave a Comment

We were invited to test ride the new Bajaj Urbanite Chetak EV in Pune city.

Maybe we should just call it ‘Chetak’ because this EV has no Bajaj or Urbanite badging on it. Following a first ride experience that lasted for a couple of hours, here are a few things that we think you must know before putting your money down on one. Of course, more details will follow in the first ride report in the March issue of Bike India magazine.

Styling

The Bajaj Chetak of the previous era was an icon its own right with a silhouette recognisable from afar. The new Chetak EV carries forward the highlights of that classic styling in a package that will appeal to the masses of the present century as well. If you like LEDs, digital displays, shiny paint and lots of curves, the Chetak could definitely work for you. Furthermore, everything fits together nicely and gives the Chetak an upmarket feel.

Instrumentation and Switchgear

The Chetak sports a round, reverse-LCD with a neat layout that displays just about enough information for the rider. Flanking the display are two sets of buttons that comprise the switchgear. The switchgear is made of good-quality plastic and is also quite responsive and easy to use.

Mechanicals

Beneath the almost-full-metal body lies the fully-welded steel frame. At the front a single-arm, trailing-link unit takes care of suspension duties while the rear is managed by a monoshock. The set-up is on the softer side and offers a pliant, comfortable ride. To rub off speed, the rider relies on a single disc brake at the front and a drum brake at the rear. The Chetak also has CBS acting at the rear brake.

Powertrain

Powering the Chetak is a 4-kW (5.44 hp) hub motor (which connects to a gearbox and then to the rear wheel) that draws juice from a 3.0-kWh lithium-ion battery. The rider can choose between two modes. The default riding mode starts off in Eco and shifts to Sport mode the moment the rider opens the throttle more than 85 per cent. Drop below 85 per cent and it’s back to Eco mode. Otherwise, just switch to Sport mode and enjoy its benefits throughout. We managed to catch an indicated top speed of 69 km/h. Quite enough for city usage.

Charging and Range

No complications there. The infrastructure for Chetak’s charging include the cable and 15-amp adapter. This means the scooter can be charged using either a heavy-duty or a household socket. You will also receive a home-charging unit that is directly linked to your electricity meter. No more charging woes for multi-storey-apartment residents. The battery takes five hours to go to full capacity from empty and almost three hours for 80 per cent charge. Claimed range figures are 85 and 95 km for Sport and Eco modes respectively. After the first ride, I can say that it certainly does seem capable of it.

Other Features

Here are a list of features that we liked. The Reverse mode was useful while backing up the scooter in tight spaces. The additional storage space at the front allows you to safely store the charger and you could also charge your mobile phone. Daily users will also appreciate the small hook at the front. It has a three-kg load capacity and can be useful to carry small bags. The Chetak also has a simple design to keep the rear brake engaged. Instead of stopping the lever using a trigger-hinge, the Chetak uses a button.

Price

The Chetak has two variants on offer; Urbane and Premium. The former features drum brakes at either ends and misses out on the metallic colours while the latter, which we rode, gets a disc brake and choice of metallic paint finishes. The Urbane costs Rs 1.05 lakh while the Premium will set you back by close to Rs 1.20 lakh; both are on-road prices for Pune post the EV subsidies.

Also read: Ather 450X highlights

Joshua Varghese – who has written 578 posts on Bike India.


Email

Related posts:

Honda Activa H-Smart Launched In India
Dakar Rally 2023 - Benavides Emerges Victorious
TVS iQube Long Term Review

Filed Under: Bajaj, Latest News, News Tagged With: bajaj, bike, chetak, electric, ev, India, latest, new, news, scooter

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

AlphaOmega Captcha Classica  –  Enter Security Code
 ⟲    ➴
 


FEBRUARY 2023

Bike India - India's no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

17TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

Bike India - India's no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

Anniversary Ride to the Isle of Man with Freddie Spencer and Sid Lal

TVS Ntorq Ncounters I – Navigating the Night

BMW G 310 GS Explores Nagaland

SPECIAL Featured Story

Yamaha MT-10 SP – Ready for Road, Track, and Touring

Yamaha MT-10 SP – Ready for Road, Track, and Touring

In recent years, however, the MT-10 has begun to show its age, especially in terms of technology and rider aids. It was always on the thirsty side, too, and, by modern standards, the brakes were lacking. It was time for an update, which is why for 2022 Yamaha introduced a new MT-10 earlier this year.

More about this.

Car India and Bike India Awards 2019

Recent Posts

  • FEBRUARY 2023
  • Triumph Tiger 900 and Tiger Sport 660 – A Thrilling Ride
  • Ultraviolette F77 First Ride Review
  • Kawasaki W175 Tested Review — The Indian Kawasaki

Car India

Car India Magazine - Get your Digital Subscription

Latest News

Honda Activa H-Smart Launched In India

Dakar Rally 2023 – Benavides Emerges Victorious

HOP Electric Launch High Speed Variant Of Leo

Emotorad Launch Premium Electric Bicycles

Subscribe to Car India

Subscribe to our Car India Magazine

Bike India: India’s no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

BIKE India covers the two-wheeler industry in its entirety, both from the local and the international perspective. Also delivers the most definitive verdict on machinery and performance by explaining the hows, whys, and whats on every new bike in a lucid and user-friendly manner. BIKE India is the India’s most authoritative two-wheeler publication, a magazine for people with a passion for bikes and everything to do with their history and heritage.
SiteMap

Copyright © 2023 · BIKE INDIA INDIA’S NO. 1 TWO WHEELER MAGAZINE, BY FAR! ·