Bajaj Electric Two-wheeler In The Works

On the sidelines of a new marketing initiative launch, MD Rajiv Bajaj said the all-electric product might debut soon.

• Bajaj’s range of all-electric two-wheelers will be developed and sold under the ‘Urbanite’ brand.
• The first Urbanite vehicle is likely to be a scooter, followed by a motorcycle in the future.
• Urbanite products will be positioned as premium offerings, ala Ather Energy scooters.

Although no new products were launched at the recent press event held by Bajaj, the company did confirm some exciting developments about its all-electric initiative, Urbanite. MD Rajiv Bajaj said plans for an electric two-wheeler were underway and that the first product under the venture might debut soon. Although no timeframes were discussed, there’s a possibility that we might see something carrying the Urbanite tag later this year or early next year.     

Also read: Ather 450 Electric Scooter: First Ride Review

(Ather 450)

This is the first time Bajaj has spoken about plans for an electric two-wheeler since the announcement of the Urbanite brand back in 2017. Back then, the company had said it intended to ‘do a Tesla in the two-wheeler space’. The statement made it clear that Bajaj was targeting a more premium positioning for its electric vehicle brand. That would put Urbanite products closer to Ather Energy's than Hero Electric's. Although the latter is currently the country’s largest producer of electric two-wheelers, its products do miss out on premium features.

Also read: Ather 340 vs Honda Activa 5G DLX: Running Cost Analysis

(Hero Electric Optima Plus)

The Urbanite, as such, could fill the gap that currently exists between Ather and Hero Electric or Okinawa. In fact, we think Bajaj’s electric scooter might be closer to the Twenty Two Motors Flow in terms of pricing. The Flow was launched at Auto Expo 2018 at a price of Rs 74,740 with premium features like quick charge, smartphone connectivity, artificial intelligence and a host of electronic safety aids. With Bajaj’s traditional strengths in manufacturing and the advantages of economies of scale, we could see the company offering an electric scooter that offers several such premium features but at an affordable price point.

Also read: Hero Electric High Performance Scooter Not Coming, For Now

(22Motors Flow)

Moreover, what has us excited is the thought of an electric motorcycle from Bajaj. Since Rajiv Bajaj has previously said that Urbanite will not be restricted to just electric scooters, an electric motorcycle from the Pune-based manufacturer in the near future cannot be ruled out. The only other contender in the affordable electric motorcycle segment currently is Tork with its T6X. And although Tork is yet to launch its electric bike, the hype surrounding it certainly points to the existence of a market for an affordable electric motorcycle. Whether Bajaj digs into its existing product portfolio for the same (say, an electric Pulsar) or creates an entirely new product is something only time will tell.

Also read: All-electric Tork T6X Spied Testing For The First Time

(Tork T6X Test Mule)

However, it’s the Urbanite electric scooter that will hold significance for Rajiv Bajaj. Under him, the company moved out of the scooter space, a segment where it enjoyed a virtual monopoly during the 80s and 90s. But the conventional scooter segment has evolved considerably since, and the company would surely have found it difficult to enter the game at this stage. Electric vehicles, as such, present Bajaj with the best opportunity to once again become a force to reckon with in the scooter segment. Having said that, how does a feature-rich Urbanite electric scooter with a Chetak nameplate and an affordable price tag sound?