It features a number of improvements over the current Chetak Premium, but it also takes a couple of steps backwards.
Bajaj has launched a new version of its electric scooter called the Chetak Urbane, which will cost you Rs 1.15 lakh in its standard form, and Rs 1.21 lakh for an additional “Tecpac”, which unlocks more features and performance.
In terms of the all-important question of range, the Bajaj website lists the Urbane as having slightly higher range (113km) than the current Chetak (108km). However, in the case of the Urbane, this is the IDC-certified range, while for the current Chetak Premium, 108km is its claimed real-world range (its IDC rating is 126km). Therefore, it is likely that the Urbane will offer slightly less range in the real world, though the exact specifics remain to be seen. What the Bajaj website does confirm is that the new Chetak Urbane gets the same 2.9kWh battery capacity as the current model.
The Chetak Urbane utilises the same colour LCD display as the Premium variant. In standard form, the Urbane offers a 63kph top speed, and comes with only one riding mode – Eco. With the “Tecpac” installed, top speed rises to 73kph and you get a Sport riding mode as well.
However, there are a couple of areas where the new Urbane lags behind the current Chetak Premium. The charging rate for the standard charger has dropped from 800W to 650W, as a result of which, charging times have gone up from 3 hours 50 minutes to 4 hours 50 minutes. And there’s also the fact that the Urbane variant only comes with drum brakes at both ends.
This leads us to believe that Bajaj will soon update the Chetak Premium to bring it at par with, or surpass, the Urbane in areas where it currently lags behind. Stay tuned for more information.
Also see:
Ather confirms two new scooters for launch in 2024
Simple Dot One electric scooter launch on December 15
