Hero MotoCorp has been working on its first-ever electric scooter for some time now. Recently, the brand has announced that it will bring the scooter to the Indian market by March 2022. The automaker also revealed that its electric vehicle project is already in the advanced stages and that the product would be made at its facility in Chittoor, in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Hero MotoCorp had already teased the prototype of the scooter back in August.
In April of this year, the company entered into an agreement with Taiwanese manufacturer Gogoro to share battery swap technology and other features with the tech giant. Hero's maiden battery-powered product will be based on the concept seen earlier. Though the final production-spec model is unlikely to have a single-sided swingarm, it should have full-LED illumination, fast charging, extended range, and the ability to transfer out battery packs.
Hero MotoCorp's Chittoor plant is considered eco-friendly and uses sustainable production techniques. In addition, the company will create an integrated ecosystem for battery pack production and testing, car assembly, and vehicle end-of-life testing (EOL).
After being released, Hero's first EV will compete with well-known rivals like the Bajaj Chetak Electric, Ather 450X, and TVS iQube. The scooter is expected to cost less than a lakh rupees. As of now, the details about its features and specifications are limited, but we expect the forthcoming e-scooter to be showcased at the EICMA show in 2021.