New Bajaj Chetak Variants, 6 Bajaj Pulsar Bikes & More Incoming Soon!

The manufacturer could also bring a few KTM big bikes to India and launch a hydrogen-powered Chetak scooter soon

(Update: Bajaj Auto has launched the most affordable Chetak, called the Bajaj Chetak 2901. Check out the details here.)

In a recent earnings conference call, Rakesh Sharma (Executive Director of Bajaj Auto) revealed new information about the Bajaj Chetak, the upcoming Bajaj CNG bike and much much more. Check out the details here: 

1. New Details About The Bajaj Chetak

The Bajaj Chetak will have a more affordable variant soon. This new variant will be available in the first quarter of the 2024-25 financial year, Rakesh Sharma has confirmed. The said variant was spied last week. We expect it to hit the market in May 2024. Additionally, an updated version of the Chetak will be launched in the last quarter of the financial year, between January and March 2025.

Regarding expansion, the Chetak brand currently has 200 stores, and Sharma mentioned that by the first half of FY 2024-25 (probably end of November 2024) the EV maker has plans to increase this number to 600. Bajaj Auto sold around 40,000 units of the Chetak in the last quarter of the 2024 financial year, as claimed by Rakesh Sharma. Chetak's market share also jumped from 5% to 13% over the past year. From April 2023 to February 2024, a total of 1,03,763 units of the Chetak were sold, compared to 28,359 units sold between April 2022 and February 2023.

2. New Details About The Bajaj CNG Bike

Rakesh Sharma also talked about the upcoming CNG bike. Bajaj has an 88 percent market share in India's three-wheeler CNG market. Addressing safety concerns, Rakesh Sharma explained that their extensive experience with CNG three-wheelers ensures that the new CNG bike will undergo rigorous testing to guarantee user safety. He also mentioned that this bike could cut commuting costs by half, which is promising. The bike was recently spotted during testing and Bajaj has confirmed that this bike can also run on petrol, a feature we had predicted when it was spied over a month ago.

Rakesh Sharma is optimistic about the future of CNG bikes and vehicles. CNG strikes a balance between petrol-powered and electric vehicles, offering a cheaper alternative to petrol (due to lower costs and better mileage) without the lengthy charging times associated with electric vehicles. In terms of operating costs, Sharma pointed out that, per kilometer, CNG vehicles are only about 10% to 12% more expensive to run than their electric counterparts.

3. Details About Upcoming Pulsars

About the Pulsar brand, Rakesh Sharma revealed that "6 models will be launched in the first half of the fiscal year 2025 (by the end of September 2024)." The first model to be launched among them is the Bajaj Pulsar NS400 on May 3, 2024. Recently, photos of the Pulsar NS400 were leaked, giving us a first look at the biggest capacity Pulsar bike yet.

4. Details About Hydrogen-Powered Two-Wheelers

Abraham Joseph was recently named by Bajaj Auto as the managing director of Chetak Technology Limited, its electric vehicle subsidiary based in Pune. Bajaj stated that under this sub-brand, they will also explore the potential for hydrogen vehicles, aiming to expand their range of technologically advanced products.

However, the development of a hydrogen-powered two-wheeler is still far off. Despite various manufacturers showing interest in hydrogen technology, such as TVS, who filed a patent for a hydrogen-powered scooter in 2022, and the major Japanese brands—Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha—receiving approval to develop a hydrogen engine, there has been little progress. It's been over a year since these announcements, and none have yet resulted in a market-ready hydrogen bike. 

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Rakesh Sharma also mentioned that in FY 2025, they will introduce the big bikes of KTM in select cities. So, expect the KTM 890 Duke and the KTM 890 Adventure to come to India next year. 

Bajaj has big plans for their entire portfolio and given the manufacturer’s large scale production capabilities and big presence in the market, there is a high possibility that these plans will be executed as per the timeline mentioned.