Bajaj Chetak

The last time we saw Bajaj Chetak was in 2020, when it was launched. During that period, Bajaj wasn’t entirely making the Chetak in-house. But now, in 2022, Bajaj has full control over the manufacturing and quality aspects of the Chetak, and that means there’s a high chance it would profit from a better fit, finish, and overall experience.

The Chetak is a decorative electric scooter with good styling, many features, and an electric motor that concentrates on practicality and usability. This electric scooter also comes with battery bond programs analogous to those of the other brands in the space. But the one thing that makes this EV stand out piecemeal from the rest is that it comes from a two-wheeler company that has a reputation for dealing with millions of two-wheelers in India and abroad.

Simple One 

It’s been nearly 11 months since we last saw the Simple One electric scooter in person, but that product was far from ready. Recently, we got our hands on a near-product-ready scooter to test its performance and features. Do note that these were trial-product models, and therefore the overall fit and finish weren’t up to par. The folks at Simple Energy assured us that the issues around fit and finish will be ironed out on the delivery-ready scooters, but we will hold our studies until we see the final product, most probably in September this time. The main motive behind the media lift was also to give us a taste of Simple One’s performance. Then what did we gauge from the many hours spent with the new Simple One.

 

Design of Bajaj Chetak

The Chetak draws inspiration from the Vespa range of scooters in terms of design. Consequently, the overall styling contours are refined and curvaceous. The front end adheres to the conventional scooter design, but it possesses an enhanced aesthetic appeal owing to the utilization of sleek outlines and chrome accents. As one shifts their focus to the side, the flowing contours become more pronounced. This imparts a rather impressive appearance when the scooter is in motion. However, the rear of the Chetak appears slightly cluttered, which can be attributed to the compact panels and the necessity to accommodate various lights and components. Moving on to the realm of quality, the Chetak truly excels. The fit and finish are executed with precision and finesse. Notably, there are virtually no visible gaps between the panels. Moreover, the paint quality sets a new benchmark among all Bajaj products. Even the finish on the metal parts is commendable.

Design of a Simple One

The Simple One takes an ultramodern approach when it comes to styling. The frontal packs an apron-mounted LED headlight and LED turn pointers, while the LED DRLs sit on the bar. Also, the binary-tone finish to the apron and the body panels enhance the aesthetics and make the scooter look incontinently desirable. On the reverse, the Simple One features a split-style taillight and a swish pillion grab rail. The forward seat design has slanting looks as well as styling, but it comes at the cost of comfort. This product from Simple Energy will be offered in at least four colours, while a fifth makeup option was under development when we tested the electric scooter. The makeup quality of the base colour looked promising, but we cannot say the same about the black corridor on the scooter. The uneven panel gaps don’t help Simple One’s case, but as mentioned in the preface, these are trial-product scooters. The switchgear quality, too, wasn’t something to write home about. Keeping away the fit and finish issues, the Simple One is a veritably desirable electric scooter of its aesthetics it. Its styling should appeal to youthful buyers, and the performance will indeed keep educated riders engaged.

 

performance and power of Bajaj Chetak

Chetak is fast—not outrageously fast, but fast on a motorcycle. I played around with the instant choker delivery at the business signals and fully enjoyed that experience. Plus, Sport mode is a must if there is a cornucopia of flyovers that you need to pass, and that too during peak business hours. As of now, there are two ways to enter Sport mode: directly switch to Sport mode or go via Eco mode, which does get prickly. Bajaj hasn’t handed over a dedicated Eco mode, due to which numerous beeps come in. Plus, since there are no restrictions on the throttle position, Eco mode tends to hit Sport mode most of the time. As a result, I ended up using Sport mode when I didn’t want to.

Now, the overall weight distribution of the Chetak is fairly balanced. The scooter doesn’t feel as heavy while taking it out of the parking lot. formerly in stir, the scooter is easy to ride and does not cause important trouble while swapping. The combination of upright sitting ergonomics and good performance allowed me to get through business stress-free. The lift quality, too, is supple and manages the largest of the fairly-sized potholes. It’s only when the road gets rough and bad that the running anterior suspension tends to show its limitations. Chetak has a claimed riding range of 90 km on a single charge, and it takes about four hours to charge 100 percent. It can be charged using a standard 5A draw and comes with a charging string as standard. Also, the company will send a technician to set up a draw point in your parking lot. Bajaj claims that this battery could last up to 70,000 km, or seven times if the owner kept its charge above 15 percent all the time and used it regularly. But in terms of bond, it comes with 50,000 km or three times, whichever comes beforehand.

Performance and power of Simple One

The software is still in beta mode, which means not all the features worked when we tested the Simple One. What did work, however, and quite impressively, was the lattice and the electric motor it contained. The Simple One feels duly fast and climbs the speed gradient with a striking pace. It has four lift modes: Eco, Lift, Gusto, and Sonic.

The Eco is the domestic model with maximum range, while the Sonic aims to give all the power that the electric motor can deliver. Not to mention, the Eco mode, despite its provisional name, is fairly fast. You can still venture into the high 40s on the speedometer in this mode. Also, the Lift and gusto modes make effects more intriguing while reducing the range as compared to the Eco. But it’s the Sonic that hits effects out of the demesne, along with the range. Indeed, with a pillion on board, the electric scooter felt stress-free, and presto! Simple Energy claims a 0-to-40 kmph acceleration time of 2.77 seconds.

Another good thing is that the Simple One packs two battery packs. The concerted range in Eco mode stands at 236 km under IDC conditions, while the company’s internal tests claim a range of 203 km. With nearly the entire test lift spent in Sonic mode and riding with generous throttle input, the battery range dropped from 94 percent to 38 percent for a distance of 40 km.

 

Extra Key Features of Bajaj Chetak

There are a couple of effects that the Chetak e-scooter gets spot on. Seating comfort is one of them. The seat on this scooter is large, and wide, and has lots of good bumpers. I spent many hours riding within the megacity limits and set it up to be accommodating and comfortable. The overall seating triangle, too, is upright and accessible. Due to the decent space vacuity on the floorboard, my bases were comfortable, and that backed my overall comfort. Plus, features like chancing the scooter and GPS are extremely useful in today’s world. Now, switchgear buttons are a commodity we don’t see in requests these days. They’ve got a soft touch sense, are easy to operate, and, just like most of the other Bajaj products, get backlighting. There are other sense-good features too, like the soft-open point of the frontal cube. Also, the seat drops down sluggishly, and there’s no need for rider intervention. Chetak’s smartphone app has a lot of features too, but the interpretation we entered for the test wasn’t in the product territory. So many of those features weren’t accessible to us. The Chetak gave us a riding range of 106 km on a single charge. Interestingly, this electric scooter went on for another 8 kilometres when the battery showed zero percent charge. This could mean that the company has deliberately designed their range system in such a way that the rider gets to reach home at no charge. This could serve as an emergency system.

Extra Key Features of the Simple One

The software was under BETA testing, and the first scooter that we entered didn’t display the riding mode changes on the screen. The relief scooter still worked better and displayed all the correct information. Piecemeal from the lift-related data, similar to modes, range, and speed, the press also stored the scooter’s documents and displayed a chart powered by Map My India’s software. There are customization options too, and the rider can play around with the screen background and the fountain color. Further, the product-spec model will be equipped with a voyage-control function, but that wasn’t ready on the units that we tested. The tackle, too, is on par with the rivals, and the Simple One uses telescopic frontal spoons and a hinder mono-shock to handle the suspense tasks. The retarding setup includes slice thickets on both buses, while the safety net comprises a combined retardation system. There’s also the 30-litre under-seat storehouse that can take in a full-face helmet. Ending the lid still takes a slight punch, and it may scratch the makeup of the helmet. Also, the lattice complements the performance, and the Simple One feels planted at 80 kmph and over and around the corners. For my weight of 68 kg, including the riding gear, the suspense felt established without being too harsh. Heavier riders may find the setup to be a lot plusher. Plus, the retarding setup has been tuned for an average scooter rider. Therefore, the 190 mm hinder slice packs a lot more bite than the 200 mm frontal rotor, and the setup brings the scooter to a halt at a commendably short distance.

 

Price of Bajaj Chetak

In 2023, Bajaj Chetak will be priced at a special offer price of Rs 163,000 that will be both ex-showroom and in Bengaluru, including the FAME 2 subvention that will be available for a short period of time. The color options that will be available are matte coarse grey, matte Caribbean blue, and satin black. Bajaj Chetak Premium 2023, which comes at a price tag of Rs 163,000, is offered in one variant only.

 Price of a simple one

The price of Simple One starts at Rs. 1.45 lakh and goes up to Rs. 1.50 lakh. Simple One is offered in two variants: Single Tone and the top variant, One Binary Tone, which comes at a price tag of Rs. 1.50 lakh. Simple One comes in two variants which include Simple Energy One Single Tone and Simple Energy One Binary Tone. The top variant is Simple One Binary Tone, which comes at a price tag of Rs 1.50 lakh.