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Bajaj Auto’s RE60 has clearly split the automobile industry wide open with its opponents reiterating that it is not a safe option for Indian roads.
The latest to fire a salvo is Tata Motors’ Managing Director Karl Slym, who tweeted on Thursday that the quadricycle was a regressive move to which his counterpart at Bajaj Auto, Rajiv Bajaj, retaliated strongly (on January 11, Business Line featured the two on the same topic).
The Government, meanwhile, is framing a policy for this category of vehicles that apparently has backers in Mahindra & Mahindra, Piaggio and Eicher.
Others are opposed to the move which, in turn, has led to a divided house within the auto space.
“Why is Bajaj Auto in such a tearing rush?” asks an industry observer who believes the quadricycle policy should be thought through slowly and carefully.
To which Rajiv Bajaj retorts: “Because, in the book of those who make the Pulsar (bike), slow and steady is not a virtue. Because we are in a marketing business where the first mover advantage is everything.”
He adds that with the world rapidly running out of “oxygen in the air and fossil fuel in the ground”, the RE60 offers an ideal urban transport solution especially when there is nothing else that can be implemented “as quickly and easily”.
The company has made it clear that the RE60 is not meant for people who want to buy a car. It is equally emphatic that the vehicle should not be permitted on highways or expressways. This does not cut much ice with its opponents that say it is impossible to put this into practice.
Rajiv Bajaj is flummoxed by this argument.
“Do we ban helmets because people do not wear them when they are supposed to? Do we ban trucks because people grossly overload them creating a traffic hazard?” he wonders.
weight issue
The company has also proposed a restriction on the weight of the Indian quadricycle to 450 kg and speed to 70 kmph keeping in mind its application as an intra-city mode of transport.
Rajiv Bajaj believes these are critical parameters for this product which is less polluting, more fuel-efficient and does not contribute to congestion.
He adds that the car industry has not managed to achieve anything similar simply because manufacturers have missed the most important aspect of weight.
At 450 kg, the RE60 is able to deliver mileage of over 30 km/litre while ensuring that emissions are minimal.
Less is more
This goes in line with Rajiv Bajaj’s passionate mantra of ‘less is more’.
He is amazed why the “powers that be” have not been able to figure out that in the Indian context, cars do not need more technology but less weight.
The ‘less is more’ doctrine has led to spectacular results in his company’s motorcycle business.
What began as a proliferation of brands nearly a decade ago has since given way to just the Pulsar and the Discover in the sporty and commuter segments.
The idea is to be a specialist bike maker which explains why the traditional business of scooters is now passé.
It remains to be seen if the Government panel, entrusted with the task of finalising the quadricycle norms, will go with the recommended weight structure of 450 kg.
Reports have been doing the rounds that it is inclined towards 600 kg which could then defeat the goal of clean air and mileage.
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