Bajaj has signed off 2024 on a high note, grabbing the no.1 spot in India’s competitive electric scooter market, overtaking Ola Electric. According to December’s Vahan data, Bajaj Chetak topped the charts with 18,276 units sold, followed by the TVS iQube with 17,212 units. Ola, which was the previous market leader, came 3rd with 13,769 units.
Chetak EV’s retail sales of 18,276 units translate to a market share of 25% in the last month of 2024. It was followed by TVS which sold 17,212 iQube electric scooters with a 23% market share. Ola Electric came 3rd with 13,769 units and 19% market share.
In the first two weeks of December 2024, Bajaj Chetak peaked with a market share of 27.7%. This dropped a bit by the end of the third week to 26%, and finally settled at 25% by the end of the month.
Bajaj Auto had launched the Chetak electric scooter in 2020, just before the lockdown triggered by Covid. Despite the poor start, Bajaj kept faith in the Chetak and 5 years later, it has paid handsome dividends. The Bajaj Chetak is now the best-selling electric scooter in a single month for the 1st time in December 2024.
The New Upgrade: Bajaj Chetak 35 Series
On 20th December 2024, Bajaj launched a new range of the Chetak electric scooter, named the Chetak 35 series. The new series comes in 3 variants: Chetak 3501, 3502 & 3503.
The new update is not just a facelift or a design change. Bajaj has made major upgrades. The new Bajaj Chetak is designed to address all the customer feedback on the old Chetak.
The new Chetak features a new chassis with an 80 mm longer wheelbase. This has resulted in the floorboard being longer, making the seat longer while offering more storage (35 L) under the seat. The battery pack now sits on the floorboard. All three models are equipped with a 3.5 kWh battery that offers a range of 153 km. The older version had a 2.9 kWh battery pack. The new Chetak also gets an upgrade on its onboard charger that can now charge the battery from 0-80% in 3 hours.
The top speed is 73 km/hr. The new version retains the classic look of the earlier Chetak. New features include speed lock settings, remote immobilization functionality, body-coloured mirrors and digital document storage. Model-wise differences explained below:
Bajaj Chetak 3501
The top-spec 3501 features a 3.5 kWh battery which gives a range of 153 km. The battery takes 3 hours to charge 80%.
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It gets a TFT touchscreen panel which supports smartphone connectivity for navigation, call and music control. It also shows incoming call and message notifications. It is offered in 5 colour options. The Chetak 3501 variant is priced at Rs 1.27 lakh
Bajaj Chetak 3502
The 3502 is positioned below the 3501. It also features the same 3.5 kWh battery which gives a range of 153 km. The battery takes 3 hours 25 minutes to charge 80%.
It misses out on the touchscreen panel and just features an LCD console. It is offered in 4 colour options. The Chetak 3502 is priced at Rs 1.20 lakh.
Bajaj Chetak 3503
The 3503 is the base variant of the 35 series. It will feature the same 3.5 kWh battery.
It too misses out on the touchscreen panel and just features an LCD. Not much is known about this variant yet. The 3503 variant’s price has also not yet been disclosed.
Conclusion:
For market experts, Bajaj ending 2024 on a high didn’t come as a surprise. Throughout 2024, legacy auto manufacturers had been gradually catching up with startups like Ola Electric & Ather. Going forward, Bajaj will be banking on the new Chetak 35 Series to improve its sales further.
After Chetak made it to the top of the sales list, Rajiv Bajaj, MD of Bajaj Auto gave a statement: “Ola toh Ola hai, Chetak shola hai.”
