It was in 2019 that Bajaj decided to reintroduce the Chetak moniker in India, but the heart of the two-wheeler, which still came in the form of ascooter, was fuelled by electrons rather than petrol this time. As the years rolled by, the Chetak was adopted by over one lakh individuals, and Bajaj has been upgrading it steadily and, unusually, taking its time, all for the sake of getting the product right.
When the model year 2024 (MY24) Chetak was introduced (it is available in Urbane and Premium trims), we got the chance to ride the Premium variant with the Tecpac for two days in and around Chennai. We rode the electric scooter on the highways, in city streets, and over roads that had more potholes than craters on the moon. The Chetak, although not totally unfazed, did very well in all conditions.
First up, the positives. Although in 'Eco' mode, one has to really twist the throttle to get going, which does not help matters when it comes to eking out as much range as possible from the battery, the 'Sport' mode makes things a lot more 'normal', as all of the 4 kW produced by the motor is now available for use.
Sure, it reduces the realistic range to well under the claimed range, which is 126 km per charge in Eco mode, but it also makes living with the scooter a lot easier. Overtaking other vehicles in the city is a breeze thanks to the peppy engine, and because the wheelbase is short, the EV is very flickable. This particularly helps while picking the way through traffic, which is going from bad to worse in Chennai with each passing day.
Another positive are the features. Right from the 'Reverse' mode (which is not a gimmick) to the navigation, the EV comes with lots of new age features. We particularly liked the switches that were backlit and the 5-inch TFT display that was crisp and informative. The headlight lit up the road well at night, but the horseshoe-shaped DRL was too bright to our liking. What's more, the 2024 Chetak Premium also comes with a charger that is neatly tucked in the front storage.
Now to the not-so-good bits. The EV's suspension soaks up bad bumps well, but at speed, taking random potholes head-on unsettles the scooter. The seat is not as comfortable as it would seem, and the seat material that Bajaj used was also not ideal. And then there is the optimistic speedometer. Although Bajaj says the top speed of the EV is 73 km/h, the scooter, more often than not, displays speeds of over 80 km/h. But we'll gloss over it, as speedo errors have been an integral part of the lives of petrol heads for several decades now.
But do not think for once that the Chetak is a half-baked product due to its shortcomings. It is a solidly built scooter that would perfectly suit short office runs. Although it might not be as fast as some of its competitors, as a commuter, it does the job well. Don't try to fit a full-face helmet under the seat, though.
Price - INR 1.15 lakh - INR 1.44 lakh (ex-showroom).
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