Bajaj Could Launch Electric Pulsar, To Expand Chetak Range

pulsar 220
Rendering

Bajaj Auto is planning to expand its electric two-wheeler lineup in the coming years, and it is even considering an all-electric version of Pulsar

Bajaj Auto is planning to expand its EV lineup in the Indian market, but it won’t take its focus off of ICE vehicles. In a round table conference early this year, executive director Rakesh Sharma has stated the domestic EV market is still in infancy and growing at a relatively slow pace, which is why it would be essential to give attention to both its ICE and EV verticals.

The homegrown manufacturer recently established a new vertical – Chetak Technology – to take care of the EV side of its business. Earlier this month, Bajaj had also inaugurated its second EV manufacturing plant at Arkudi, Pune, and it is planning to upscale its EV operations significantly. The automaker has partnered with Yulu, and it will be supplying the latter with electric two-wheelers.

As per speculations, Yulu is looking to expand out of the urban mobility space, and into e-commerce and food delivery segments. Apart from that, Bajaj will also expand the Chetak range in India, and it is planning to add three or four new models in the coming years. An electric version of Pulsar is also under consideration, and even KTM and Husqvarna could launch their upcoming EVs in India.

bajaj yulu single seater

An electric version of Bajaj Pulsar could be a brilliant addition to the brand’s range, as the Pulsar nameplate is already extremely popular in the domestic market. Bajaj Auto is also looking towards export markets for the Chetak EV. Electric two-wheelers are currently extremely popular in South East Asian countries, so this does seem like a viable option for the manufacturer.

 

In the domestic market, the government of India is aiming for 30 per cent EV penetration in passenger vehicle sales. If so, the majority chunk of the auto sales will still be commanded by ICE vehicles. Thus, Bajaj will have to keep its focus on ICE two-wheelers as well, which is why it has decided to keep its EV and ICE verticals separate, to properly focus on both.

bajaj chetak electric 2020-1

It should also be noted that the semiconductor chip shortage has been a major issue for the global automobile industry. As EVs are much more dependent on such chips, it is much more difficult to expand EV operations in these times. It would be interesting to see what Bajaj Auto has in store for the Indian market!