Cab hailing services Ola and Uber could induct quadricycles into their fleets in the coming months. Bajaj Auto is said to be planning to supply the Qute quadricycle to Ola and Uber by May,2019. The Qute will soon go on sale in India, and will be pitched as a cheaper and safer alternative to three-wheeled autorickshaws already in the market.
It’ll only be sold as a commercial vehicle though, which means that private buyers won’t be able to opt for it even after launch. The Qute is a four-seat vehicle, including the driver’s seat. Bajaj Auto has 100% localised the Qute, and is now manufacturing it. The quadricycle is being exported to around 16 countries through out the world.
He said the ride-hailing space was expanding and there was huge opportunity for growth, which the company wanted to leverage. He said nearly 50,000 cabs plied on the Delhi roads alone, which showed the intra city mobility potential.
Here is what Ramesh Chandra Maheshwari, President (Commercial Vehicle Business), Bajaj Auto, said, A solution for each specific mobility need is likely to be the way forward. We need a vehicle which is lightweight, have low speeds, environment friendly, and highly fuel efficient. Bajaj Qute has been designed taking into consideration the issues involved in intra-city transportation. As far as this vehicle’s supply is concerned, we have had discussions with most taxi fleet owners as well as aggregators like Meru, Ola, Uber, etc. However, it is premature to conclude on any commercials in the absence of permission to run on Indian Roads.
The Bajaj Qute quadricycle weighs less than 475 kilograms, and is smaller than the country’s smallest car – the Tata Nano. Length, breadth, height and wheelbase of the Bajaj Qute measure in at 2,752 mm, 1,312 mm, 1,652 mm, and 1,925 mm, respectively. The vehicle’s small footprint will allow it to squeeze it into the smallest gaps. The Qute is powered by a 216-cc, four-stroke single-cylinder engine with 13.2 PS of peak power and 19.6 Nm of peak torque. The engine gets water cooling and a twin spark ignition system. A five-speed manual gearbox and a rear-wheel drive layout will be standard on the Bajaj Qute. LPG and CNG variants are also in the works.
Currently Bajaj Auto has launched Qute in Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha and now Uttar Pradesh. “By April end, we are looking at launching the vehicle in almost 15 more states,” he said adding since Qute had created the new quadricycle segment in the country, it required approvals in the respective state governments before it hits on road.
Qute carries ex showroom price (UP) of about Rs 2.66 lakh (petrol, commercial) & Rs 2.86 lakh (CNG, commercial) and is available for both personal and commercial registration. It will be available in 6 colours viz. Eco Green, Neptune Blue, Golden yellow, Arctic White, Bright Red and Jet Black.