INDIAN motorcycle maker Hero MotoCorp is investing in an electric future, as it snaps up a £60m investment in Zero Motorcycles.
The move will see Hero and Zero (comedy naming partnership by the way) jointly develop electric motorbikes, with the first electric offering being unveiled later this month. It’s reported that Hero’s new electric brand, Vida, will be pulling the wraps off its first electric product on October 7th.
The move is Hero’s second nibble at the electric vehicle sector after the manufacturer invested $56m in EV start-up Ather Energy. Ather is India’s leading electric scooter manufacturer and makes a range of lightweight plug-in scoots that cost-effective and innovative. With a finger already dipped in the lightweight electric pie, you’d have to assume that the tie-in with Zero could be aiming for larger-sized machines.
Hero also teamed up with the state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp earlier this month, that deal centres around growing the nation’s EV charging infrastructure across the board.
The spec and detail of the new models to come from the tie-up are still unknown, although it is thought that Hero's Vida electric scooter will feature a lithium-ion battery pack and a mid-mounted electric motor. It is rumoured to have a range of around 70 miles and recharge times on a par with the current crop of small-size electric scooters. Like many of these electric motorcycle brands already in the market, the Vida is aimed at providing a cost-effective and simple urban travel solution, adding to the notion that the Zero tie-up could yield more large-capacity bikes.
