Hero MotoCorp has announced that it will launch its very first electric scooter on October 7. The launch will take place under Hero's recently trademarked sub-brand, Vida, which has been set up to focus on the electric two-wheeler segment.
Vida brand e-scooter: details
As is the case with the rest of Hero MotoCorp’s line-up, this upcoming e-scooter is expected to be aimed at the mass market, and you can expect a price tag of Rs 1 lakh or less. Unlike offerings from start-ups Ather and Ola Electric that have a focus on performance and fun, the Vida e-scooter is likely to be a more functional vehicle, focusing on fundamentals like safety, range and durability rather than outright performance.
That being said, this will certainly not be a low-speed electric scooter with a 25kph speed limit, and you can expect performance levels in the ballpark of something like the base TVS iQube.
While the press release doesn’t divulge any details about this upcoming electric scooter, a prototype of Hero MotoCorp’s electric scooter was shown virtually back in August last year as part of the company's 10th anniversary celebrations. At the time, it seemed to employ a mid-mounted motor, although recent rumours suggest that it could employ a hub motor instead. Hero MotoCorp had previously scheduled this scooter to be launched on July 1, which was already a delay from the earlier scheduled launch in March. Now that we have an official launch date, it seems the scooter is finally ready to hit the market, and we hope to be able to ride it soon.
In addition to the upcoming Vida scooter, Hero MotoCorp had previously announced a strategic partnership with Taiwan-based battery supplier, Gogoro for developing another electric two-wheeler with a removable battery pack, and supporting it with a battery swapping network in India. This is a model that Gogoro has employed to great success in its home market.
Would you go for a Vida over an Ather or Ola? Let us know in the comments section below.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
Ved Janve
