Bajaj registers electric scooter in Brazil. After Yamaha, will it take a risk?
Indian scooter appears in registration at the INPI and rekindles interest, but Yamaha's recent failure shows that the electric segment has not yet taken off here
Model was updated this year in the foreign market (Photo: Bajaj | Disclosure)
Bajaj has registered the industrial design of its small electric scooter Chetak in Brazil, which always generates expectations of official arrival. Still, no pronouncement from the brand points to the arrival of the model, and the market’s bets converge on the traditional method of protecting the rights of the product – even more so with the recent history of the segment reinforcing caution: Yamaha made this bet and went badly.
The industrial design shows what the model looks like (Photo: Bajaj | Disclosure)
Yamaha has already tested this market — and it didn’t
take off The risk is not theoretical. Neo’s Connected marked Yamaha’s debut in electric vehicles in Brazil and was the first 100% electric motorcycle from a major Japanese manufacturer to arrive in the country. Presented at the end of 2024 and produced in Manaus since January 2025, it arrived costing R$ 33.990 and simply did not sell.
According to Fenabrave, Yamaha has never appeared among the 15 brands that have sold the most electric vehicles in the country since the beginning of the year — a bad result for one of the largest manufacturers in the world. The answer came in the price: in April, the brand cut R$ 8 thousand at once, and Neo’s dropped to R$ 25.990. Today it costs R$ 25.590 without shipping, but it remains the most expensive electric motorcycle in Brazil. It is not known for sure how many units were sold, but the ranking indicates that there were very few.
This is the scenario that Chetak would find. In India, Bajaj sells the scooter for about R$ 5 thousand, an aggressive price – but no one knows how much it would reach Brazil, already produced or imported, with taxes and adjustments. And, even if it arrived cheap, it would have to convince a public that has not embraced the category so far.
Honda looks at the same scenario and prefers to wait
The reading that the segment is risky is not exclusive to those who observe from the outside — it is the same as that of the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Asked by AutoPapo after recently registering another electric in Brazil, the UC3, Honda was direct: for now, it does not intend to bring electric motorcycles to the country.
The brand even recognizes that there is potential, but conditions the decision to factors such as energy matrix, charging infrastructure, market characteristics and consumer profile. “Honda continuously studies the introduction of new technologies in the Brazilian market, but follows the policy of offering the right technology, in the right place, at the right time,” said the manufacturer.
The message is clear: Honda does not seem to want to repeat its rival’s mistake. Globally, the brand already has electric scooters such as the QC and Activa e:, in addition to the WN7, its first electric motorcycle in fact, launched at the end of 2025. In Brazil, it prefers caution. Even so, it does not close its doors — the manufacturer has a global goal of zero carbon by 2050, which gives electric companies, sooner or later, a deadline to arrive. “Anything is possible,” he summarized.
The registry protects the project, but does not confirm anything
Moto is the manufacturer’s smallest motorcycle (Photo: Bajaj | Disclosure)
With the caveat, it is worth understanding what the document means – and what it does not mean. The protection of the industrial design guarantees Bajaj the rights to the project in Brazil. Manufacturers register trademarks, designs and patents in various markets for intellectual protection and commercial planning, without this implying commercialization. In summary, the registration increases interest in a possible arrival of Chetak, but does not allow us to say that it will be sold here.
The scooter’s relationship with Brazil, however, is not new. Bajaj had already presented the Chetak at the 2023 Interlagos Festival to measure the public’s receptivity, and the model reappeared in 2026 at the Brazilian MotoGP stage in Goiânia, used by the KTM team for internal travel at the racetrack.
The registered version is the most basic in the line
The protected model is the Chetak C2501, the entry-level version of Bajaj’s family of electric scooters in India. It uses a 2.2 kW electric motor and a 2.5 kWh battery, with a declared range of up to 113 km and a top speed of 60 km/h. Recharging from 0 to 80% takes about 2h25.
At 107 kg, the C2501 has a 25-liter compartment under the seat, color LCD panel, connectivity, Eco and Sport modes and ramp start assistant. The body is metallic, the front brake is disc and the rear is drum, and the battery has IP67 certified water and dust protection.
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