Bajaj Auto will set up a dedicated electric vehicle manufacturing plant at Akurdi, Pune, Maharashtra with an investment of Rs 300 crore.

Bajaj Auto hopes to roll out the first vehicle from this unit by June 2022, 15 years after the plant last produced a vehicle.

This new factory will have a production capacity of 5,00,000 units per annum. Akurdi is also the site of the original Chetak scooter factory that made Bajaj Auto a household name in India. Auto parts suppliers of Bajaj Auto will invest Rs 250 crore to support manufacturing operations.

The electric Chetak is currently being built at the Chakan factory in Pune, Maharashtra, which also produces motorcycles of LKTM, Husqvarna and Pulsar.

Spread over 5,00,000 sq ft, the new plant in Akurdi will have robotic and automated manufacturing systems for logistics and material handling, fabrication and painting, assembly and quality assurance. The plant will employ around 800 personnel.

These systems have been designed for flexible product mix, while keeping in mind the best worker ergonomics and maximum process efficiency.

Spread over 160 acre, the Akurdi plant currently houses Bajaj Auto’s research and development (R&D), corporate centre, and purchase and sales operations.

Krystal was the last scooter made by Bajaj Auto from the Akurdi plant before a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) was offered to workers affected by the shutdown.

Bajaj Auto currently has only one electric vehicle, Chetak, in its line-up. The company is working on an electric model under the Husqvarna brand as well as further additions under its own brand.

The long-delayed electric three-wheeler, which will mark Bajaj Auto’s entry into the space, will likely debut in 2022.