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Bajaj has launched the new Chetak 35 Series electric scooter in India with prices starting from Rs 1.20 lakh (ex-showroom, Bengaluru). Called the 35 series, the new Chetak has cosmetically changed little over its predecessor but now packs notable changes under the skin such as a larger battery, improved range and more tech on board.
The big changes to the Chetak 35 Series are to the tech on board and under the skin. Bajaj says the Chetak 35 Series gets a redesigned frame which brings with it a longer wheelbase and a repositioned battery. The battery pack now sits under the floor - from under the seat in the older models - which liberates more under-seat storage. Bajaj says under-seat storage is now 35 litres - up from 21 litres. A lot of the electrical components and control units under the skin have also been repositioned.
Focusing on the powertrain, the Chetak 35 Series gets a larger 3.5 kWh battery pack - up from the 32 Series’ 3.2 kWh unit. This leads to an improved claimed range of up to 153 km on a full charge - up from 137 km. Bajaj says that it has also moved to a new generation electric motor and motor controller which has helped improve the powertrain’s efficiency. On the charging front, the Chetak 3501 comes with a 950 W on-board charger that charges the battery from 0-80 per cent in 3 hours depending on the variant.
On the feature front, the big update is the inclusion of a new TFT touchscreen display between the handlebars for the instrument cluster and infotainment functions on the 3501. The 3502 gets a non-tochscreen display The system features built-in navigation from Mappls and also supports smartphone-based connectivity functions such as accepting/declining calls and music controls. The Chetak also offers on-board storage for digital documents along with some connected features such as remote immobilisation, overspeed alert and accident detection. Do note that some of these features are part of an add-on TecPac that will be offered with the scooter.
There will be three variants on offer - the 3501, 3502 and 3503- though the prices for the 3503 have yet to be announced.
The 3502 is a lower-spec package that drops bits such as the on-board charger and the touchscreen display. The 3503 meanwhile misses out on bits such as disc brakes and gets an electric motor with an integrated controller unit to further optimise cost.
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