Bajaj To Do A Tesla In Two Wheeler Space

Published September 15, 2017
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2 min read

With ever stricter emission norms, many manufacturers have made a decision to switch to electric and Bajaj Auto is the newest addition

As we have reached the ceiling for combustion engines, a switch towards electric motors seems inevitable. Minister of Road Transport and Highway of India, Nitin Gadkari seems to have hammered the final nail in the coffin with his comments on bulldozing the fossil fuel industry. Not wanting to be left behind, Bajaj has made its ambitions clear to push towards electric mobility. The company is working on a new project named ‘Urbanite’. According to Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto, Urbanite will aim to ‘do a Tesla in the two wheeler space’.

Urbanite aims to be different from traditional low cost electric two wheelers by focussing more on performance, hence the Tesla comparison. However, Bajaj isn’t the only company in this segment. Hero Electric has been in the market for over a decade now and also has a good network of over 300 sales and service centres. The company portfolio consists of two-wheelers, three-wheelers and even electric cycles. Harley-Davidson, known for its V-Twins, is also making a switch towards electric with Harley-Davidson Livewire prototype, which garnered very positive feedback and will be in production in the coming few years. Urbanite can also face some stiff competition from upcoming startups such as Pune based Tork Motorcycles and Ather Energy with their upcoming T6X and S340 electric motorcycles respectively.

Even though there’s no information on the products to come out of ‘Urbanite’, the electric two and three wheelers are expected to be premium offerings. Till 2020, we expect the company to come up with a premium motorcycle which will go toe-to-toe against the likes of the Tork T6X, Arther S340 and hopefully, the Harley-Davidson Livewire (one can dream, right?).