Bajaj puts brakes on bookings of e-scooter Chetak due to high demand

Attributes move to supply chain uncertainties, receives 'overwhelming' response for model

Within 48 hours of re-opening bookings for its electric scooter Chetak, Bajaj Auto on Thursday slammed the brakes on fresh bookings for the vehicle, owing to uncertainties surrounding its supply chain.

The company had received an overwhelming response after bookings were opened at 9:00 am on April 13, which was also the auspicious day of Gudi Padwa, and customers were able to book the Chetak online on a first-come-first-serve basis.

In a statement on Thursday, the company said that it had received an overwhelming response following the re-opening of bookings for Chetak in both Bengaluru as well as Pune.

“A large number of confirmed orders were placed by customers, requiring the company to cease acceptance of bookings within 48 hours. The company will review the supply situation and announce the next round of booking opportunity,” Bajaj Auto said.

Last year, Covid-led disruptions resulted in an unintended and long waiting period. Despite the disruptions, Bajaj saw very few cancellations of bookings, according to the statement.

“We are absolutely delighted to see the fabulous response to the re-opening of bookings for the Chetak electric scooter in both Pune and Bengaluru. We thank our customers in these two cities for their patience, and now this overwhelming response,” said Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director of the company.

“We are conscious that customers would like to receive early deliveries of Chetak and start enjoying it as soon as possible. Therefore, we have had to take the difficult decision of closing the bookings in view of continuing supply chain uncertainties,” he said.

He noted that it was the company’s endeavour to resolve the supply chain issues at the earliest, re-open bookings, and drive into more cities within the next quarter.

Available in two trim options — Urbane and Premium — the Chetak is a connected scooter with a dedicated app that allows its owners to receive notifications in the event of unauthorised access or an accident.

Its three riding modes, including a reverse mode, offer the rider the choice to navigate through traffic with ease.

The electronic scooter has a service interval of 12,000 kilometres or one year, whichever is earlier, and comes with an overall warranty — including for the lithium-ion battery — of three years or 50,000 kilometers, whichever is earlier.