India's largest two-wheeler brand Hero MotoCorp launched its first electric scooter Vida V1 on October 7. It comes in two variants – V1 Pro and V1 Plus. Prices are Rs 1.45 lakh and Rs 1.59 lakh (ex-showroom) respectively.
This time the company is targeting battery operated bikes. This was confirmed by the company last month through its investment in America's Zero Motorcycles.
Hero MotoCorp has said that besides electric motorcycles, it is also thinking of bringing vehicles for commercial use i.e. B2B segment. Even autonomous vehicles or driverless cars have been mentioned. High-performance electric motorcycles, business-to-business vehicles, advanced driver assistance and autonomous vehicles are part of our plans, the company said. However, nothing has been announced regarding the launch date.
The Splendor maker is also thinking of further expanding its range in the two-wheeler electric vehicle business. For example, renting a car, leasing a battery, etc. The company will again offer insurance and warranty on these products. Hero will offer remote diagnostics, door step assistance and other features on the Vida V1.
Incidentally, Vida V1 has been launched by Hero in a handful of cities. Like Delhi, Bangalore and Jaipur. However, the company is going to offer this scooter to customers in eight more cities from mid-December. The delivery of the scooter is expected to start in more cities by the next financial year.