Adding a Fourth Wheel

The government has given its nod to a new category of vehicles called quadricycles that will finally see homegrown auto major Bajaj Auto's Qute hit the road in India. At close to three years, the wait for Qute has been quite long and frustrating. Largely considered to be an upgrade from the three-wheelers (India is the largest market for three-wheelers with more than 6,00,000 unit sales in FY2017/18 and Bajaj leading the market), quadricycles faced stiff opposition from carmakers who saw them as competition. With stringent safety and emission norms coming into force for cars - sure to hike the price - many feared that the new category (with its greatly relaxed regulations) could be a threat to the entry-level segment. The Qute and other vehicles of its ilk are lightweight at below 475 kg, have a limited top speed of less than 70 km per hour and overall, not very sophisticated, but come with an extra wheel and a closed cabin. They are safer than the rickety three-wheelers that ply on our roads.

Sumant Banerji