Bajaj's affordable Chetak charges up e-scooter mkt

Major players hold 80% of sub-1L e-scooter segment, against 50-60% a yr ago

- SOHINI DAS

Two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto on Friday unveiled its latest offering the Chetak 2901, a competitively priced e-scooter that is likely to heat the market further, challenging its peers which have also been introducing relatively affordable models in recent months.

Industry experts believe that major two-wheeler manufacturers are now shifting their focus to the sub-₹ 1 lakh segment in e-scooters. They have already captured an 80 per cent share of this segment, a significant increase from the 50-60 per cent share they held about a year ago.

The Chetak 2901, priced from 95,998, is equipped with a 2.8 kWh battery pack, and claims to offer a range of 123 km and a top speed of 63 km per hour. In contrast, the Chetak Urbane (2.9 kWh) starts at 1.23 lakh, while the Chetak Premium (3.2 kWh) begins at ₹1.47 lakh.

Other two-wheeler makers, too, have competitive offerings. Ola recently reduced the starting price of its S1X model (4 kWh) to 70,000, while Ather introduced its family scooter Rizta at a starting price of 1.1 lakh. Also, TVS' iQube starts at 1.1 lakh.