Is Chetak better than Ather?

In this article, we are going to compare Bajaj Chetak Electric Scooter against Ather Energy 450x, another indigenous company that manufactures Electric Scooters, and has been in business for a longer time compared to Bajaj Chetak. The Bajaj Chetak Electric Scooter comes with a battery capacity of 60.3mAh and is claimed to provide a range of 90km on a single charge. The Bajaj Chetak comes equipped with a 3.8kW/4.1kW (Continuous/Peak Power) electric motor, paired to a Lithium-Ion battery pack, offering a 95km range on Eco mode, 85km on Sport mode (under AIS 040 based on ICE).

Priced at Rs.1 lakh ex-showroom, the brand-new Chetak Electric comes powered by a 3 kWh battery, which is coupled with a 4.8 Kw (6.44 Bhp) engine good for 16nm mechanical torque. Its EV, Chetak, has arrived with a 4.08kW moto that can produce 16Nm of torque, a 70kmph top speed, and 70km of range in its Urbane variant, whereas a Premium option takes that to 90km. Comparing both the offerings on the power delivery front, Bajaj Chetak gets a bit more torque compared with Ola’s Electric Scooter.

In terms of charging speeds, Bajaj Chetak gets 100% charged in 5 hours, whereas Ola’s electric scooter gets 50% charged in only 18 minutes, hence, getting 100% charged would only take 36 minutes thanks to Olas electric hyper charging network. Bajaj claims the Ather 450X can charge to 25 percent with the charger at 15 amps plug-in socket within one hour while charging for 3.5 hours will get you to 80 percent charged. The brand-new Chetak Electric takes nearly five hours to fully recharge from empty using the standard wall charger.

While the Ather 340 is powered by an engine nearly double as powerful, the Ather 340 appears to fall short of Okinawa’s new high-end models when it comes to claimed top speeds. The I-Praise seems to deliver better mileage and overall performance and is currently the only one that is available in more cities around the country.

We are going to look at two such brands, and see how Okinawa’s newest flagship model, the i-Praise, compares on paper with Athers 340 and 450 electric scooters. We will take a look at the pricing, features, design, range, and ordering processes of these two e-scooters to find out which is the better bargain. Among scooters, we have got plenty of accessible choices in our markets, with Hero Electric, Ampere Electric, and Okinawa Scooters.

While e-scooters figures seem impressive on their own, the electric vehicle market, though it has some weaker statistics, has a few strong players at similar price points, which is what Ola Electric Mobility Private Ltd is going to take on. If your budget is limited, and you want to still invest in a proven brand, Hero Electric Photon HX, Okinawa iPraise, and Bajaj Chetak — all priced under Rs.1,50,000 — stand out. The Ola S1 Pro has some competition in Ather 450X, Bajaj Chetak, and the TVS iQube that are hovering in a similar price bracket, but Ola S1 Pros’ closest rivals for battery capacity and range are the Okinawa iPraise.

Also Read: Ampere EV By Greaves Electric Mobility – Electric Scooters In India

The major brands, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Company, also joined the party in a higher price range with the brand-new Chetak EV and the iQube, respectively. Bajaj recently announced the availability of its Chetak EV in 12 more cities, for a total of 20 cities it is now available. Bajaj recently expanded the availability of its Chetak EV scooter — which is available on its official website — to offline Bajaj stores, so that now you can buy directly at Bajaj showrooms in 20 cities.

Meanwhile, the Ather Energy 450X does not have the same extensive offline showroom network that Bajaj does, but is still available in most of the big cities of India. Its electric scooter, Chetak, is neck-and-neck against several other electric scooters, including the Ather Energy 450x, which is fighting at all points including price, performance, and features, among others. While Ather continues its efforts in growing Ather networks around the country and leading the EV two-wheeler movement, Bajaj seems to play it safe for the time being with Ather 450x as the electric scooter trend is in its initial stages. The Bajaj Chetak has been designed to be as close as possible to an ICE scooter, whereas Ather has left no stone unturned in making the Ather 450X appear futuristic and packed with features.

The ICE scooter is a metal-bodied scooter, whereas the Ather 450 is made from plastic, the Ather 450 feels sturdier, while overall construction and fit-and-finish are better than on the Chetak, whilst offering a more premium feel too (no bolts to spot, and the rear indicators have been given a dynamic swipe treatment). The scooter sports a retro design, similar to that of Bajaj’s original line-up of Chetaks, which was produced from 1972 until it was discontinued in 2005. The curved bodywork and the elegant, multi-spoke alloy wheels lend a subtle, but appealing, charm to the Bajaj Chetak.

The latest Okinawa flagship was officially launched recently with a showroom price of Rs 1,15 lakh (after benefiting from FAME India subsidy), while dealers told us that on-road, its native Bengaluru costs Rs. 1,24 lakh. Having driven the Ather 450, we are a better judge of what Ather has to offer — the technology and the quality the scooter comes with are definitely unlike anything this segment has seen.

Also Read: Ampere EV By Greaves Electric Mobility – Electric Scooters In India