Bajaj Auto to roll out vehicles by June ’22, invests Rs 300 Cr in new EV factory
Bajaj Auto stated on Wednesday that it will spend Rs 300 crore on a new electric car manufacturing facility in India, which will be located in Akurdi, Pune. This plant will be able to produce 500,000 electric vehicles each year. The original Chetak scooter manufacturing is also located in Akurdi.
Except for the implementation of one state-of-the-art ICE platform that is now under development, all R&D resources for the Bajaj portfolio are now laser-focused on developing future EV solutions. The investment in Akurdi completes a cycle of high-tech R&D skills, high-efficiency engineering capabilities, world-class supply chain synergies, and a worldwide distribution network that are intended to propel the firm into a market-leading position in EVs in India and beyond.
“In 2001 Bajaj 2.0 took off on the roaring Pulsar, in 2021 Bajaj 3.0 arrives on the charming Chetak,” said Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto.
Everything from logistics and material handling through fabrication and painting, assembly, and quality assurance will be handled by the new unit’s cutting-edge robotic and automated production equipment. These systems were created with a customizable product mix in mind, as well as the highest worker ergonomics and process efficiency. It will take up half a million square feet of space and employ 800 people.
A total of Rs 250 crore would be invested by a number of suppliers to support Bajaj Auto’s investment. By June 2022, the first vehicle from this unit should be on the road. This new EV manufacturing unit in Akurdi is co-located with Bajaj Auto’s state-of-the-art R&D centre to foster greater collaboration and faster time-to-market, with the goal of transforming Bajaj Auto’s Akurdi facility into a hub for design, development, and manufacturing of a complete range of electric vehicles.
