What is inside the Bajaj Chetak 3501 battery pack
The Bajaj Chetak 3501 carries a 3.5 kWh pack built from NMC 811 Cylindrical 2170 cells arranged in 2 serviceable modules at a nominal 50 V. Pack mass lands near 20 kg including the enclosure, cooling plate, contactors and BMS harness.
Because the cells are NMC 811 (2170), the recoverable value profile is dominated by nickel and cobalt, with lithium and copper adding a meaningful second tranche. That decides whether a retired pack is worth repurposing, refining, or both.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | NMC 811 Cylindrical 2170 |
| Cell format | Cylindrical 21700 |
| Energy / voltage | 3.5 kWh · 50 V |
| Modules | 2 |
| Estimated pack mass | 20 kg |
| On sale since | 2024 (India) |
Step 1 — Removing and shipping a two-wheeler pack
Removable packs are unclipped by hand; fixed packs are removed at the dealer bench with the frame supported. Retired packs are UN 3480 or UN 3481 dangerous goods, so the pack must be below 30% state of charge and any deformation, swelling or thermal history declared before pickup.
Packs travel in UN-approved steel or plastic cages with non-conductive dividers, typically dozens per cage. Dealer and swap-station returns are aggregated at a single point so one collection clears many units.
- Tape terminals and connectors on every pack
- Separate swollen or dropped packs into their own container
- Record serials in a single list per cage
- Store below 30% charge away from charging racks
Step 2 — Module-level state of health grading
Each of the 2 modules is tested independently — a whole-pack SOH figure hides the spread that decides second-life eligibility. We run a full capacity cycle, DC internal resistance measurement and impedance spectroscopy.
Our degradation model for the Bajaj Chetak 3501 shows how value falls with age. Measured results replace these estimates once the pack is on the bench.
| Service year | Modelled SOH | Grade | Residual value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 2 | 95.4% | A — BESS ready | USD 221 |
| Year 4 | 91.1% | A — BESS ready | USD 212 |
| Year 6 | 86.8% | A — BESS ready | USD 203 |
| Year 8 | 82.5% | B — Second life | USD 178 |
| Year 10 | 78.2% | B — Second life | USD 155 |
Step 3 — What you actually recover
For modules routed to refining, a pack of this size and chemistry typically yields about 0.4 kg lithium, 2.4 kg nickel, 0.3 kg cobalt and 1.2 kg copper.
At 80% SOH our model sends about 47% of the pack to second life, worth USD 98, and credits USD 66 for the remainder as black mass. Avoided emissions come to roughly 110 kg CO2.
Field note
Step 4 — Where to send it and what paperwork you get
Bajaj Chetak 3501 packs are received directly at 8 intake sites in its markets, including Chakan, Maharashtra, Sanand, Gujarat, Taloja, Maharashtra, Narela, Delhi. From there, modules move to the nearest grading bench and refinery.
Every consignment closes with a certificate showing quantity processed, recovery percentages achieved and downstream vendor disclosure, in the form needed for CPCB EPR filings under the Battery Waste Management Rules 2022. Fleets retiring several Bajaj Chetak 3501 units should book one consolidated pickup to cut per-pack cost.