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Bajaj Auto, India’s second largest two-wheeler maker, said it is ready to launch its quadricycle, RE60 (project code), in India, as soon as the government issues regulations for this type of vehicle, a first in India. It said it was hopeful the regulations would be in place in the next few months.
“I am hopeful that it will happen this year. It will take a few more months for the government to conclude the report,” said Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto.
A quadricycle comes somewhere between a traditional auto rickshaw and a car. It is a light four-wheeler used personally as well as commercially. With specifications quite different from a modern-day car, it is an improved substitute for a three-wheeler but substantially cheaper than a car.
This vehicle type requires a new set of rules and regulations, as it doesn’t fall under any of the existing segments. The government has already appointed a committee to form regulations for this.
The National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project, headed by Nitin Gokarn, former joint secretary in the road transport and highways ministry, has been asked to give a report on the proposal.
Bajaj Auto had showcased the RE60, which is modelled on the lines of European quadricycles, in the previous edition of the Auto Expo.
Today, a passenger three-wheeler costs about Rs 1.5 lakh and a passenger four-wheeler costs about Rs 2.1 lakh (both for commercial use). The price of a quadricycle would be somewhere in between.
Tata Nano, which is a full-fledged car, costs Rs 1.55 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).
RE60 is promoted as a significant upgrade to the auto rickshaw, offering better comfort, mileage, power, and safety. It will sport a 216-cc, petrol-powered DTSi engine, which can be altered to CNG if needed. The four-wheeler will provide mileage of 40 km per litre and give out emissions of less than 100 gms of CO2 per km. A diesel engine may be introduced at a later stage.
Companies such as Piaggio Vehicles and Mahindra & Mahindra have also expressed interest in developing quadricycles.
Regulations for the project has been hit by several road blocks with some companies arguing that the government should provide fair time period for them to develop the product.
According to automotive experts, India should adopt a new set of rules for the new segment as opposed to adopting in-place European regulations.
Bajaj Auto is, however, ready to export RE60 if government regulations are delayed. The company can start shipping RE60 to Sri Lanka immediately. Other markets on the radar could be Bangladesh, Nepal, Latin American countries.
The company is hopeful that more RE60s will be sold in international markets than the Indian market. Europe alone sees annual sales of 30,000-40,000 units.
NATRiP’s report on quadricycles, once cleared by the surface transport ministry, should also be cleared by the law ministry and the environment and forests ministry.
Three-wheeler sales in India are about 500,000 units per year presently.
