[TusharK]

According to a media report, Uber has launched the Bajaj Qute quadricycle in its new UberXS category. The new category has been introduced on the Uber App from June 13, 2019. Initially, it will only be available in Bangalore.



The Bajaj Qute comes in petrol and CNG variants. It is powered by a 216cc, 4-valve, water-cooled engine with fuel injection. On petrol, the engine puts out 13 BHP @ 5,500 rpm and 18.9 Nm of torque @ 4,000 rpm. When running on CNG, the peak output drops to 10.83 BHP and the torque is restricted to 16.1 Nm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. All UberXS rides will be powered by CNG.

The claimed fuel economy of the Qute is 43 km/kg of CNG. The low running costs and the size are said to make it ideal for intra-city commutes, especially in congested cities like Bangalore. The vehicle can seat up to 4 people including the driver.

Source: Business Standard

Link to Team-BHP News

[invidious]

This is good. I hope they legally phase out auto rickshaws in Bombay and replace them with these.

[ram.iyer95]

I was expecting this to happen for good, sooner or later. Good that Uber has taken the initiative. Cheap and safer last mile connectivity is always welcome. Now Bajaj also gets to sell some Qutes, and Uber gets to start something new. Kind of a win-win for both companies, I guess. I hope Uber keeps the fares closer to autorickshaws rather than cars, though.

[binaiks]

I hope this becomes successful. The last time TaxiForSure had come out with Nanos. They ran for a few months, and then disappeared into thin air.

The Qute is certainly a good option for replacement for autorickshaws. The government is talking of having on e-rickshaws from 2023 (IIRC), but for some reason they aren't talking of phasing out these very unsafe contraptions from the road.

[giri1.8]

This makes more sense than those huge sedans within city, hope its restricted to peak hour traffic, 10Bhp seems too low for carrying 4 people beyond 40km/hr. For comparison, Ather's scooter puts out 20NM of torque compare to 16NM

[Who_are_you]

Uber has partnered Bajaj Auto to launch Bajaj Qute in its new UberXS category, a new service for affordable and smart urban commuting.

Will these vehicles will be owned by Uber instead of the driver?

[GTO]

The timing couldn't have been better! With the monsoon season setting in, the closed confinements of the Qute will be appreciated by passengers. However, I don't think it's the rickshaw-killer just yet. In most months, passengers will prefer the openness of a rickshaw as compared to the Qute's cabin which will be baking like an oven (sliding windows). The rickshaw will be cheaper to maintain as well.

Originally Posted by Who_are_you

Will these vehicles will be owned by Uber instead of the driver?

ET says "Uber will onboard drivers who directly buy the vehicles from Bajaj, through its commercial vehicle dealers in the city". Uber / Bajaj might offer some incentives if they really want to push this.

[Caramba]

Just saw one of these parked near an Auto Stand. One has to commend Bajaj for maintaining the robust build one has come to expect of Autos!!

I fail to understand how the scale of how an individual life becomes more valuable, works. On one hand you have a slew of regulations ostensibly for increasing safety. On the other hand you have these machines, which I am sure will be found crawling in the right lane of a national highway, which appear to be free from any kind of safety regulation. Have been searching for the crash test norms for this category, this has been quite hard to find. Anyone with any leads on this?

[Lalvaz]

Happy that Bajaj is innovating and trying to create a new market segment. There is a definite need for a small, fuel efficient and frugal vehicle in India, especially in the rural segment. I'm not so sure if this will really replace auto's in urban india, but well, considering Bajaj is manufacturing both autos and Qute, its quite possible that they may succeed in making inroads in cities as well.

Hope this is well priced, and does not cut corners in terms of fit and finish, or safety. While one doesn't expect this to go very fast, and hence the crash test requirements may not be applicable to this, unlike other cars, I do hope its atleast safe enough that the car doesn't go up in flames, due to faulty exhaust systems or cheap wiring harnesses.

Sincerely hope to see more such innovation from Indian auto majors, which truly aims to meet indian transportation needs and challenges, rather than being a bolt on solution from the West. Keeping my fingers crossed that they succeed.

[AJ56]

Although there are concerns about safety, I’m all for free market competition, if riders want a safer option they can pick a car, will still be safer than a bike. I think if they can price it close to the bike fares it should do well.