The government of India has announced BS6 emission norms for quadricycles (L1 category).

The new emission norms are in line with the EU's World motorcycle test cycle (WMTC) cycle used to measure fuel consumption and emissions in motorcycles.

The L1 category of vehicles were introduced in 2018. These are 4-wheeled vehicles that are of the same size as a 3-wheeler. A quadricycle has to be within 3,000 mm in length, 1,500 mm in width and 2,500 mm in height. It can have a maximum speed of 70 km/h.

A quadricycle can be used for private and commercial purposes. Vehicles like the Bajaj Qute fall in this category.

Source

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

Bajaj has launched the Qute quadricycle in Maharashtra. It is available in two versions priced at Rs. 2,48,061 (Petrol, Personal) and Rs. 2,78,492 (CNG, Commercial) (ex-showroom, Maharashtra).

The Bajaj Qute measures 2,752 mm in length, 1,312 mm in width, 1,652 mm in height and has a wheelbase of 1,925 mm. It rides on 12-inch alloy wheels and has a turning radius of 3.5 m. The petrol version comes fitted with an 8-litre fuel tank, while the CNG version comes with a 35-litre cylinder.

The Qute 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 that comes with a dashboard-mounted sequential shifter. The claimed top speed of the Qute is 70 km/h.

The Qute is available in 6 colour options - Eco Green, Neptune Blue, Golden Yellow, Arctic White, Bright Red and Jet Black.

According to a media report, Bajaj is set to formally launch the Qute in India on April 18, 2019. The quadricycle is reported to be priced at Rs. 2.63 lakh for the petrol version and Rs. 2.83 lakh for the CNG version (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The Bajaj Qute measures 2,752 mm in length, 1,312 mm in width, 1,652 mm in height and has a wheelbase of 1,925 mm. It has a luggage compartment in the front, which has a carrying capacity of 20 kg. The vehicle can also be installed with a roof rack that can hold up to 40 kg of luggage. It has fibre doors with sliding windows at the rear. It can seat up to 4 persons. 

The Bajaj Qute is powered by a 216.6cc, single-cylinder petrol engine that produces 13 BHP @ 5,500 rpm and 18.9 Nm of torque @ 4,000 rpm. With 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 that can be operated via a dashboard-mounted sequential shifter. The claimed top speed of the quadricycle is 70 km/h.

Source: NDTV

The Bajaj Qute quadricycle has been priced at Rs. 2.63 lakh and Rs. 2.83 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the CNG version. Currently, the vehicle can be used for commercial purposes in 20 states and for private use in 15 states.

The Bajaj Qute measures 2,752 mm in length, 1,312 mm in width, 1,652 mm in height and has a wheelbase of 1,925 mm. The luggage compartment in the front can carry up to 20 kg, while a roof mounted carrier can hold up to 40 kg of luggage. The Qute has a seating capacity of 4 persons. It has fibre doors and sliding windows in the rear.

The Qute is powered by a 216.6cc, single-cylinder engine that produces 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 that comes with a dashboard-mounted sequential shifter. The claimed top speed of the Qute is 70 km/h.

Source: Autocar

The government could approve quadricycles like the Bajaj Qute for private use. According to a media report, an announcement could be made later this week allowing the sale of quadricycles to private owners.

Commercial sales of quadricycles have already been approved by the government. The Central Motor Vehicles Rules were amended earlier this year for this purpose. As per the newly created vehicle category, quadricycles will have to weigh less than 475-550 kg. These will not be required to meet crash safety and emission regulations.

The Bajaj Qute will be the first vehicle in this category. It was first unveiled at the 2012 Auto Expo. It has already been launched in select markets of the world, however its India launch has been delayed due to safety concerns. According to Bajaj, the Qute will have a top speed of 70 km/h and has a claimed fuel economy of 35 km/l (Petrol) and 43 km/kg (CNG).

Source: Hindustan Times

According to a media report, Bajaj Auto could launch the Qute quadricycle (RE60) in the next 3-6 months. 

The Qute was first showcased at the 2012 Auto Expo but was never launched in India due to regulatory issues concerning quadricycles. Safety was also a concern. In 2016, it got a 1 star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests.

Bajaj is expecting the ministry of road transport and highways to issue a notification in the next week, which will pave the way for the launch of the Qute in India. The roll out could begin once Bajaj receives the homologation certificate from ARAI.

The Qute will be classified as a commercial vehicle and is seen as an alternative to 3-wheelers for last mile connectivity. Bajaj Auto manufactures the quadricycle at a separate facility, which is currently churning out 5,000 units per month. The Qute is currently exported to 12 countries including Russia, Poland, Turkey as well as Latin American and Southeast Asian countries. The company has received approval for sale from 14 more countries and hopes to double its exports this year.

Source: Economic Times

The Bajaj Qute has scored just 1 star in crash tests conducted by the Euro NCAP. The quadricycle managed to score only 28% in adult occupant safety. 

According to the report, in the frontal crash test, the Qute's structure was judged to be unstable. Many spot welds had released and deformation of the structure indicated that it could not have withstood a higher degree of loading. There were no signs of deformation to any mounting points for the seat belt or buckle.

In the side impact test, the door on the struck side became detached from the A-pillar as the door structure detached from the hinges.

In the frontal impact, despite modest rearward and upward movement of the steering wheel, the dummy’s head made contact with the centre of the steering wheel. The Qute does not have frontal airbags. The findings indicate a high probability of serious or fatal injury in a human as a result of this contact.

Protection of the neck was rated as good. However, together with the unstable structure, the contact with the rim of the steering wheel gave high chest compressions and the protection offered to this area of the body was rated as poor. Protection of the knee, femur and pelvis was also rated as poor owing to the presence of hard structures below the dashboard.

In the side impact test, the force with which the head struck the side roof rail indicated a high probability of serious or fatal injury due to the lack of a side curtain airbag or padding in this area. Similarly, dummy readings of lateral rib compression were high and protection of the chest was rated as poor. Protection of the abdomen was rated as marginal and that of the pelvis was good.

Quadricycles built by other manufacturers have also scored poorly in crash tests conducted by Euro NCAP.

Last year, Bajaj unveiled the RE60 quadricycle as the 'Qute'. The road ready model was revealed and Bajaj plans to export it to around 16 markets including Tanzania, the Dominican Republic, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Egypt, Honduras, Thailand and Bangladesh among others. 

However, the Qute is yet to clear the red tape and get the Supreme Court of India's approval for domestic sales. Bajaj has now launched two websites for the Qute, in order to spread awareness for the product, while also starting the #FreeTheQute campaign, where visitors can register and show their support for the quadricycle if they wish to.

Given below are links to the websites:

- Bajaj Qute

- FreeTheQute

The Qute is powered by a 217 cc, 4-valve, liquid cooled, closed loop fuel injected, four-stroke engine that makes just over 13 BHP @ 5,500 rpm and 19.6 Nm of torque @ 4,000 rpm. The vehicle gets a 5-speed manual gearbox and a top speed of 70 km/h. The vehicle measures 2,752 mm in length, 1,312 mm in width, 1,650 mm in height with a 1,925 mm wheelbase.

The Qute is being projected as a greener and more cost effective alternative to cars and a safer alternative to three-wheelers. Bajaj claims the Qute emits 66 gm of CO2 per km and offers a fuel economy of 36 km/l. While Bajaj has put across a lot of points to plead its case for the quadricycle, it remains to be seen when the vehicle can legally hit Indian roads.

The Bajaj RE60 was recently unveiled as the Qute. The quadricycle project has been working its way through government regulations ever since it was revealed around three year ago. The company has announced its plans to export the vehicle to 16 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe. Further details on the Qute have emerged through an official presentation.

The Qute is being projected as the "anti-car" - essentially a more efficient and cost effective alternative to full sized cars, that occupy a lot of space on the road and consume more fuel. The Qute is a 400 kg vehicle that can carry 4 passengers (+luggage) up a 27% gradient. It is powered by a 217 cc, 4-valve, liquid cooled, closed loop fuel injected, four-stroke engine that makes just over 13 BHP @ 5,500 rpm and 19.6 Nm of torque @ 4,000 rpm. The vehicle gets a 5-speed manual gearbox and the Qute's top speed is "limited" to 70 km/h.

Bajaj claims the Qute meets Euro3 emission regulations. However, in Europe, quadricycles form a relatively small category due to their exorbitant price (in the ball park of €10,000 or INR 7.4L approx). The Qute has been awarded a WVTA (Whole Vehicle Type Approval) certificate by RDW Netherlands, after testing by the test agency TuV Rhineland. It meets all the performance, emission & safety requirements necessary for sale in the EU. The Qute also meets the proposed Indian Quadri emission norms, with a claimed fuel efficiency of 36 km/l.

Safety is understandably not going to be a strong suit, but Bajaj has tried to make a case for the Qute nonetheless. Bajaj states that the crash energy of the Qute is 85% lower than that of popular small cars, for collisions taking place at 50% of their respective top speeds. The vehicle gets seat belts & meets side door intrusion norms. It is designed to meet full frontal crash regulations at an impact speed of 40 km/h as against 48 km/h for M1 cars. The Qute has a steel body with impact resistant plastic closures. The vehicle measures 2,752 mm in length, 1,312 mm in width and 1,650 mm in height.

Production of the Qute has already begun and domestic sales will begin once the vehicle gets the approval from the Government of India.