Quadricycle Qute that is powered by a 217 cc, single-cylinder motor from Bajaj Aito Ltd. has been finally unveiled and allowed to operate on Indian roads. Bajaj targets to officially launch Qute in India in December 2017 but it has been exporting the product in other parts of the world such as South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. The company reported that in its previous business year which ended in March 2017, it had exported 1,556 units. This indicates that the demand has not picked up, but its shares increased by 0.6% in NSE Auto Index.
The automaker will now proceed for safety, and emission tests after the Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways outlined new requirements for Quadricycle Qute and other vehicles which operate on compressed gas and petrol.
Qute had initially failed Indian standard tests for four-wheeler passenger cars such as side and frontal impact tests. It also lacks many standard safety equipment. However, the automaker management argued that Qute is a safer upgrade from autorickshaws and should therefore not be subjected to safety checks for other vehicles.
Qute was designed before the new standards were unveiled and Shrikant Akolkar, research analyst for auto at Angel Broking and if it passes the tests, Bajaj may expect to generate 1% revenue from Angel Broking. Bajaj aims at selling 50% of its 25, 000 in India if meets the set standard. However, the company expressed their frustrations after experiencing delay of five years before Automotive Research Association of India could conduct the tests and be approved by the Road Transport Authority.
