NEW DELHI: To tap the growing demand for electric vehicles and compete against new-age players, Bajaj Auto is planning to double its electric scooter Chetak’s network in the coming few weeks. The Pune-based automaker has already doubled the Chetak network in the first 6 weeks of 2022, adding New Delhi, Mumbai, and Goa to the list of locations where it is available. The electric scooter that was launched in January 2020 can now be booked in 20 cities, with a waiting period of 4–8 weeks.
Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director, Bajaj Auto, said, “Chetak’s success has been built on the quality of a thoroughly tested, dependable product. An on-ground network of sales and service reduces the anxiety of a customer venturing into an unfamiliar category such as electric scooters. Our plan is to double Chetak’s network in the coming few weeks to accommodate the high demand.”
This rapid network expansion comes after the company’s commitment to invest `300 cr to ramp up its electric vehicle production capacity. Bajaj had recently informed that it has commenced work at a brand-new unit at Akurdi, which will have a capacity of 5,00,000 units EVs. The first vehicle from Bajaj’s new unit is expected to roll out by June 2022.
This expansion plan comes at a time when legacy two-wheeler manufacturers, be it Hero MotorCorp, TVS or Bajaj, are increasing their focus on developing EVs, market for which at present is almost entirely dominated by new-age players.