Kerala, North East to get Bajaj Qute first

Bajaj Auto's Qute will finally be made available for sale next month, with the company already having started deliveries of the quadricycle to dealers.



Bajaj Auto dealers in Kerala and in the North East have already placed orders for the four-wheeler as it is 'technically' possible to offer the Qute for sale in these markets, the company said.

"Technically Kerala is allowed to retail it so the initial plan is to send out 35-40 vehicles to all the dealerships so that registration process can be completed. But I would say that retails in the North-East and Kerala should commence next month," said Kevin D’sa, President (Finance), Bajaj Auto.

Qute, which is a four-wheeler, comes under a new category of vehicle. It is not classified as a personal vehicle and can be used only for commercial purposes. This means that the vehicle will need clearance from individual state governments. As of now, only Kerala and the North Eastern states have given their go-ahead.

Early last month, the central government cleared the policy to permit quadricycles for commercial use, after the Supreme Court asked the Centre to look into the matter. Several public interest litigations (PILs) were filed by various entities to stall the commercial launch of the quadricycle.

Unable to sell the vehicle in India, Bajaj started exporting the Qute to Latin America, Europe and Africa in 2015. The vehicle is powered by a five-speed, 216cc engine that develops a peak power of 13.2 PS and has a maximum speed of 70 kmph. It can seat three passengers and a driver.

Bajaj has created a capacity of 60,000 units per year for the Qute at its manufacturing facility in Aurangabad.

The quadricycle is part of a new category of vehicles recognized by the government a few years ago. Several companies including TVS Motor Company and Tata Motors had opposed the government's proposal to allow quadricycles to be sold in the market on the grounds that the vehicle does not meet crash safety norms.

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Source

Bajaj RE60 named- the Qute. Exports announced, India launch awaiting

The RE 60 will be called the ‘Qute’. Bajaj Auto announced the plans to export its Qute Quadricycle to countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe. Production of Bajaj Qute has already commenced and the company  is awaiting for a verdict from the Supreme Court to launch this vehicle in India. Only then we can have a word on its pricing.

The Qute is powered by a water-cooled 216cc 4-stroke, single-cylinder DTSi, 4-valve engine that returns a fuel efficiency of 36 kmpl. The engine produces 20 BHP of power and is mated to a 4-speed manual transmission.  The Qute can reach a top speed of 70 km/hr . It has low carbon emission of 66 gm/km.

[caption id="attachment_14509" align="alignnone" width="640"] Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto at the launch of RE60 "Qute"[/caption]

PRESS RELEASE

Bajaj Auto all set to export ‘Qute’ to over 16 countries

While India awaits the Supreme Court verdict, the eco-friendly, next gen Quadricycle makes its way to countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe.

 New Delhi, September 25, 2015: Bajaj Auto – the world’s largest manufacturer of three-wheelers, today announced plans to export its Quadricycle, known as RE60.

During research the RE 60 evoked responses from consumers like ‘Cute’ and ‘beautiful’ in Asia and ‘Bonita’ in Latin America.  The RE 60 is now branded as ‘Qute’.  Production for Bajaj Qute has already commenced and export to about 16 countries is planned.

The Qute is powered by an all new water-cooled DTSi, 4-valve engine that has an impressive fuel efficiency of 36 kmpl and a max speed of 70km per hour. It is easy to drive, compact, lightweight and has an extremely low carbon emission of 66 gm/km. Qute has been designed in response to evolving requirements of low cost, last mile public transport across the world by optimizing size, weight, cost and speed.

Qute is the first Indian made Quadricycle to meet the stringent European Quadricycle norms and get the European WVTA (Whole Vehicle Type Approval) certification awarded by RDW Netherlands.  Today, Bajaj Auto is all set to export Qute to over 16 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe.

 Mr. Rakesh Sharma, President, International Business, Bajaj Auto said, “Over the years, the Bajaj RE has become a part of the social fabric in many countries. Apart from being an effective last mile transportation solution it also provides employment to millions. With Qute, we are now raising the bar and ushering in a new solution of transportation that is cleaner, safer and more comfortable. Our partners across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe are excited about the growth opportunities that Qute can bring for us.”

Mr Abraham Joseph, CTO, Bajaj Auto said, “We have applied all our two-wheeler expertise of  light weight vehicle engineering  & super-efficient powertrain technology based on DTS-i, to create the Qute.  We use high strength steel body along with impact resistant plastic closures to achieve this. The small displacement high performance 4 Valve engine uses closed loop fuel injection & triple spark ignition.  Coupled with the 5 speed gear box, it gives outstanding fuel efficiency & emission performance. The engine is water cooled for long life.”

Qute Product Specs

Low emissions	CO2 : 66gms/km
Highest Mileage	36 kmp
Maximum Speed	70 kmph
Turning circle radius	3.5 meters
Overall length	2752 mm
Overall width	1312 mm
Overall height	1650 mm
Seating capacity	1+3