Bajaj Chetak C3501 Expert Review
- Electric
- Scooter
- 2 Seater
What's good
-
Steel body construction and solid fit and finish for the segment
-
153 km claimed range on paper, backed by real-world numbers that hold up reasonably well against rivals
-
Fast home charging via the 950W onboard unit
-
Large practical storage: 35-litre boot plus a 5-litre glovebox
-
Wide, long-established dealer network reaching well beyond the metros
What's not so good
-
Several features locked behind a paid TecPac purchase
-
Heavier to manoeuvre at a standstill than lighter rivals
-
No public fast-charging network to lean on away from home
The Bajaj Chetak 3501 is a premium electric scooter that combines classic design with cutting-edge technology. It stands out for its solid metal body, smooth riding, and practical features such as underseat storage, LED lighting, and a digital display with app connectivity. The 3501 is an updated model with a greater range and a more refined riding experience compared to earlier Chetak scooters.
What's good
-
Steel body construction and solid fit and finish for the segment
-
153 km claimed range on paper, backed by real-world numbers that hold up reasonably well against rivals
-
Fast home charging via the 950W onboard unit
-
Large practical storage: 35-litre boot plus a 5-litre glovebox
-
Wide, long-established dealer network reaching well beyond the metros
What's not so good
-
Several features locked behind a paid TecPac purchase
-
Heavier to manoeuvre at a standstill than lighter rivals
-
No public fast-charging network to lean on away from home
The Bajaj Chetak 3501 is a premium electric scooter that combines classic design with cutting-edge technology. It stands out for its solid metal body, smooth riding, and practical features such as underseat storage, LED lighting, and a digital display with app connectivity. The 3501 is an updated model with a greater range and a more refined riding experience compared to earlier Chetak scooters.
Bajaj Chetak C3501 Expert Review
SEV Score
Samarth Kudale
Tested and reviewed by SEV Experts on 8 parameters
SEV Score
Samarth Kudale
Tested and reviewed by SEV Experts on 8 parameters
Expert Verdict
The Chetak nameplate carries more emotional freight than almost any other name in Indian two-wheelers, and the 3501 is the trim that puts the most weight behind it. As the range-topping variant of Bajaj’s revised 35 Series, it wraps a 3.5kWh pack, a touchscreen dash and a longer floorboard around a steel body that has defined the electric Chetak since 2020. Ex-showroom pricing currently sits just under Rs 1.6 lakhs, and for that money you get a claimed range of 153 km, a design that is agreeable by a larger chunk of society, underseat storage that swallows more than many rivals, and an overall reputation for simple, reliable operation. What you don’t get is much urgency off the line, ABS at any trim, or the best features to price value.
Bajaj Chetak C3501 Design
Exterior
Park a Chetak 3501 next to almost anything else in this price bracket, and the metal panels do the talking before a single spec sheet gets mentioned. The silhouette still leans on cues from the original two-stroke scooter that puttered around Indian streets for three decades: round headlamp, sweeping bodywork, and a tail that tapers rather than juts. Up front sits a horseshoe-shaped LED unit with a circular daytime running ring wrapped around it and a small illuminated “C” at its centre, flanked by turn-indicator housings finished in silver trim.
This platform update stretches the wheelbase and adds roughly 80 mm to seat length over the outgoing Chetak, which shows up as a noticeably longer floorboard and a scooter that reads as slightly more substantial in person than photographs suggest. Twelve-inch alloy wheels wrapped in tubeless rubber round off a stance that looks friendly rather than being aggressive.
Build Quality & Fit and Finish
This is where the Chetak has built its reputation, and the 3501 doesn’t dent it. The all-steel construction, consistent panel gaps, and overall fit and finish are quite solid. Chrome accents around the badging and headlamp surround add a bit of shine without tipping into gaudy.
Bajaj Chetak C3501 Features
The 3501 is the only Chetak variant with a touch-enabled 5-inch TFT display; the 3502 gets the same screen without touch input, and the base 3503 skips the colour display altogether. That touchscreen carries full Google Maps navigation, a step-up turn-by-turn guidance on the 3502, plus music playback control and call accept and reject. Self-cancelling turn indicators come standard here, whereas the two lower trims need the paid TecPac upgrade to switch that convenience on. Note that Google Map integration comes only with the Tecpac added; the optional suite also equips the 3501 with sequential indicators and onboard document storage for things like your PUC certificate and insurance papers, neither of which shows up on the other two trims even after they’ve paid for TecPac. Hill-hold assist, an audible reverse alert, auto hazard lights and a guide-me-home lighting function (TecPac) round out the overall key features list, alongside over-the-air software updates.
Several of the more useful connected functions, remote immobilisation, geofencing, accident detection, and trip analytics, are available in an annual data-pack subscription that renews at Rs 1,300 a year once the first twelve months bundled into the Rs 5,000 TecPac fee run out.
Bajaj Chetak C3501 Performance & Range
As the name suggests, the Chetak 3501 comes with a 3.5 kWh battery pack, with the range quoted at 153 km on the certified test cycle. That figure inevitably shrinks in daily use, with a realistic mixed-city range landing somewhere between 115 km and 130 km, occasionally dipping closer to 80-90 km in heavier traffic or with sustained use of Sport mode. Even at the conservative end, that keeps the 3501 a very usable range for the majority of riders, and the 950W onboard charger backs it up by returning the pack to 80% in around three hours.
Performance-wise, the side-mounted permanent-magnet motor drives the rear wheel and is capable enough for a top speed of 80 kmph. On the road, acceleration builds in a steady, linear curve rather than the shove-you-back sensation some rivals chase; twist the throttle and the Chetak gathers pace without much drama, which suits someone commuting through traffic far better than someone hunting a quick overtake. It won’t embarrass itself next to a Simple Wave or Ather Rizta at city speeds, but it also won’t feel eager doing it.
Bajaj Chetak C3501 Ride & Handling
The floorboard-mounted battery pack sits low in the chassis, and it shows the moment you tip the Chetak into a corner or hustle it through a roundabout: the low centre of gravity keeps things stable and predictable rather than tippy. Suspension duties fall to a single-sided front trailing-link arm and a rear monoshock; the setup soaks up potholes and broken tarmac with reasonable composure. It isn’t plush in the way a heavily cushioned family scooter can be, but it doesn’t crash through bumps either, landing somewhere sensible in between. The turning circle is tight enough to make three-point U-turns unnecessary in most lanes, and at higher speeds the chassis tracks straight without the wobble that heavier, top-loaded scooters sometimes develop.
The trade-off for that steel body and low-slung pack is mass. The Chetak 3501 is heavier to wheel around a cramped parking bay than lighter rivals like the Ather Rizta. Braking, handled by a front disc and rear drum working through a Combined Braking System, does its job at city speeds, but a proper dual-disc setup would have been more confidence-inspiring.
Bajaj Chetak C3501 Safety
The 3501 relies on CBS (Combined Braking System) rather than ABS, and that holds true across the entire 35 series. CBS does apply both brakes together when you pull a single lever and improves stability for less experienced riders by balancing the brake pressure evenly. Hill-hold control, a reverse warning tone and automatic hazard lights cover the basics well.
On the connected side, accident detection and remote immobilisation add a layer of theft and emergency protection, though they sit behind the annual data-pack subscription.
Bajaj Chetak C3501 Space & Comfort
Underseat space is rated at 35 litres, one of the largest figures in the class, and the 3501 adds a bonus 5-litre glovebox up front, a properly useful spot for a wallet, phone or the portable charging cable rather than burying everything in the main boot. For reference, the TVS iQube offers roughly 32 litres of underseat space, while an Ather Rizta Z has 34 litres of underseat storage, though it also offers an optional front storage accessory (frunk).
The 3501’s longer floorboard and stretched seat from this platform update noticeably improve knee and legroom for both rider and pillion over the outgoing Chetak, which is a welcome change.
Bajaj Chetak C3501 Charging & Warranty
The 950W onboard charger is arguably the most underrated part of the ownership proposition. It plugs into any standard three-pin socket and gets the pack to 80% in roughly three hours, comfortably quicker than the bundled chargers on many other e-scooters. What Bajaj doesn’t offer is any meaningful public fast-charging network to fall back on if home charging isn’t practical, which matters more than the fast home-charge speed if you live in an apartment without dedicated parking access to a socket.
The standard warranty runs 3 years or 50,000 km on the vehicle, in line with most of the competition, and Bajaj sells optional extensions on top: up to 5 years and 70,000 km on the full vehicle, or a battery-only extension covering 5 years and 50,000 km, both worth budgeting for given how expensive an out-of-warranty battery replacement can get on any EV.
Bajaj Chetak C3501 Service & Network
Bajaj’s dealer and service footprint is one of the oldest and largest of any two-wheeler brand in India, which is a clear edge over EV-focused newer entrants whose coverage still thins out considerably beyond major cities. In fact, the brand has continued running near the top of the electric-scooter sales charts. However, in terms of the feedback we received from owners, some of them did flag occasional delays sourcing replacement parts under warranty.
Who should buy this?
If what draws you to the Chetak name is the promise of a properly built scooter with a long range and quick home charging in its class, and you have reliable access to a home socket, the 3501 earns its place amongst the top of the shortlist. It suits a buyer who values daily-use range and build integrity over outright performance or the newest software polish. Anyone chasing sharper acceleration, a lighter kerb feel, or the most refined connected experience should put the Ather Rizta Z on the same test-ride list, while buyers prioritising outright value and the widest possible service reach are better served cross-shopping the TVS iQube before signing anything.
What's good
-
Steel body construction and solid fit and finish for the segment
-
153 km claimed range on paper, backed by real-world numbers that hold up reasonably well against rivals
-
Fast home charging via the 950W onboard unit
-
Large practical storage: 35-litre boot plus a 5-litre glovebox
-
Wide, long-established dealer network reaching well beyond the metros
What's not so good
-
Several features locked behind a paid TecPac purchase
-
Heavier to manoeuvre at a standstill than lighter rivals
-
No public fast-charging network to lean on away from home
Bajaj Chetak C3501 Price
What's good
-
Steel body construction and solid fit and finish for the segment
-
153 km claimed range on paper, backed by real-world numbers that hold up reasonably well against rivals
-
Fast home charging via the 950W onboard unit
-
Large practical storage: 35-litre boot plus a 5-litre glovebox
-
Wide, long-established dealer network reaching well beyond the metros
What's not so good
-
Several features locked behind a paid TecPac purchase
-
Heavier to manoeuvre at a standstill than lighter rivals
-
No public fast-charging network to lean on away from home
153Km/c
73Kmph
3.5Hrs
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