[TusharK]

Thanks to Vikas Deshpande for sending these images in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing them with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!



In 2017, there were reports indicating that Bajaj Auto was developing an electric 3-wheeler for the Indian market. Now, a prototype of an electric rickshaw has been spotted in Pune, suggesting that the project could be in its final stages of development.



The camouflaged test mule looks similar to the Bajaj RE. The test vehicle has not got an exhaust pipe, which indicates that it could be powered by an electric motor.



The 3-wheeler appears to have a hard top with a rear windshield. It also has tail lights that appear to have been borrowed from the RE. Detailed specifications of the powertrain and battery are not known.

Link to Team-BHP News

[GTO]

Nice, but limited potential. For one, the lower the level of education, the more the resistance to change (speaking of rickshaw drivers). Then, as we saw with Ola's EV campaign in Nagpur (link), the short range & lack of charging outlets make it unfeasible for taxis & rickshaws.

Things might change as battery tech progresses with longer range, EVs become cheaper and there are more charging points. And it's good to see Bajaj dipping its toes in electrification too .

[moralfibre]

Why an autorickshaw? In my opinion, the first thing that should be slowly and systematically removed from Indian roads are unsafe autorickshaws. They are slow, block traffic due to their limited speed capabilities and have zero passenger safety. Most importantly, electric, CNG or petrol doesn't matter because whenever you hail one of them they simply refuse to go anywhere.

Look at the days when they go on strike, the roads are much more better to drive on. With Uber and Ola I have never had the need to be at the mercy of an unsafe autorickshaw.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by GTO

Nice, but limited potential. For one, the lower the level of education, the more the resistance to change (speaking of rickshaw drivers). the short range & lack of charging outlets make it unfeasible for taxis & rickshaws.

And it's good to see Bajaj dipping its toes in electrification too .

If its cost effective , they will surely switch to EV auto. I am hoping government will provide subsidy which will eventually reduce buying price of rickshaw, making it affordable to buy.

Range will be a big concern here, i hope they have something like swappable batteries which can be directly obtained from Petrol pumps or owner can carry spare one's, this will reduce anxiety.

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Why an autorickshaw? In my opinion, the first thing that should be slowly and systematically removed from Indian roads are unsafe autorickshaws.

QUTE is the answer, but its rated to carry one driver + 3 passengers and costs slightly more than conventional Auto.Remains to be seen how it is accepted. But we can take hope from how successful TATA ACE was and hope that more and more people turn to QUTE.

These vehicle run on the lowest end of Taxi spectrum and purchasing price and affordability is key, not safety.Whatever we feel of them, they are source of livelihood and commute for millions in our country.

[arvindmanju]

Yesterday spotted a Bajaj electric auto test vehicle on Bangalore roads. As per the driver currently the vehicle is charged for 4hrs and does 100KM in full load. The auto rickshaw had radial tyres and was filled with dummy weights at the rear seat.




Mods- I did not find any relevant thread hence starting a new thread.

[ChiragM]

Thanks to Manjunath Patange for sending this video in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

From the looks and the design lines, it seems like the camouflaged 3-wheeler is from the house of Bajaj. The video was shot in Pune's Pimpri, which is quite near to Bajaj's Chakan plant.

A few days back, I also spotted a camouflaged rickshaw plying on the
Pune - Mumbai highway. A label on the rear clearly mentioned BS VI. Seems like Bajaj is trying it's best to adapt to newer stringent regulations and at the same time, cater to the EV market.

As OLA and Mahindra-Reva are partnering for electric cab services, the introduction of e-rickshaw will prove to be a game changer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajGf...ature=youtu.be

[GTO]

Thanks to a Team-BHP Fan (who prefers to stay anonymous) for sending these pics in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing them with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

Check out those batteries!

[Sudeep_Kimster]

I dont think those are batteries.

Those are weight blocks to simulate Passenger weights
Can be either water filled : as water is dynamic, and shifts weight with turns
metal blocks, or even sand filled.

why does Bajaj need to keep batteries on seats anyways?

[vickster]

Any idea whether these run on the regular Lead acid batteries ?

[wheelguy]

Bajaj electric 3W launch by mid-2020.

According to a report by Autocar Professional, Bajaj Auto might launch its electric 3W by mid-2020. It may also luanch more variants of Chetak and an electric Qute too.

In between, the company which has a significant contribution from its three-wheeler business, is likely to launch an electric three-wheeler by mid-2020. In May 2019, Autocar Professional had broken the news about Bajaj Auto testing electric three-wheeler in India. With this Bajaj Auto will compete not only with its traditional rival Piaggio, but also take on new entrants like Kinetic Green, Mahindra Electric, Exide Industries, SmartE, Greaves Cotton, Keto and Lohia Auto in the electric three-wheeler business. On August 14, 2019, we had broken the news about the first instantly charging electric-three-wheeler being unveiled and the company's plans for India.

More details at: https://www.autocarpro.in/news-natio...variants-44402

[fordday]

Mahindra has the Treo. Electric three wheeler.
https://www.mahindraelectric.com/veh...electric-auto/

I rode on it a year back. Here are my observations

It was best among all the e-rickshaws. Almost all its competitors were those chinese contraptions.

It uses LI-Ion battery. The driver told me 3-4 hour charge per day is enough to fill the battery.

It costs about 1.75 lakh.

Most importantly it was built well and feels safe as a passenger.

[Senna4Ever]

Originally Posted by wheelguy

Bajaj electric 3W launch by mid-2020.

The RE EV launch appears to be on track. Interesting to note that it is not technically in the 'E-Rickshaw' category, but an electric three-wheeler/L5M category vehicle.

[GutsyGibbon]

Does anyone know if the ones driven by Jeff in this Amazon video is a Bajaj or a Mahindra e-rickshaw? Or, is it something else?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLYBQvY-q8A