Hero MotoCorp launches electric scooter Vida V1, price starts at Rs 1.45 lakh

Vida V1 is to be launched in two variants V1 Pro and Vida V1 Plus. Both variants will come with a top speed of 80km/hr and fast charging at 1.2km/min. Vida V1 Pro will have an IDC range of 165 km while Vida V1 Plus will have an IDC range of 143 km.

Hero VidaV1 Plus will be priced at a cost of RS 1.45 lakh ex-showroom and Viva V1 Pro will be priced at Rs 1.59 lakh ex-showroom.

Phase-wise launches in three cities will start with Bengaluru.

Bookings will begin on October 10 while, deliveries will begin in the second week of December,

Vida V1 will come with eco, ride and sports modes. Srivastava added that Vida V1 will come with customs mode to provide more than 100 customizations for range and performance. It also comes with an SOS alert feature in case of an emergency.  Both Vida variants get features like a 7-inch touch screen, keyless control, two-way throttle, SOS alert, and more.

With that Hero, MotoCorp will also be coming Vida charging network.

It appears that the company has teased a few details, including the fact that it could have removable batteries and multiple charging options. It can also be speculated that Hero’s partner Gogoro has expertise in making swappable batteries Hero Vida can have that feature, too.

The new battery-powered offering from Hero will go on to rival the likes of other already established e-scooters such as Ola S1, Bajaj Chetak or the TVS iQube electric scooters. According to initial media reports and comparisons with peers in the market,

The electronic vehicle market is an important sector for Hero MotoCorp as although India is the fourth-largest auto market in the world, the nation is still a long way from becoming the global centre for electric vehicles.

However, the electric two-wheeler market is more appealing than the IC market due to several variables, including central and state government subsidies, growing gasoline prices, a wide range of options, and, most crucially, the usage pattern.

The total sales of electric vehicles (two-, four-, and passenger vehicles) for April exceeded the 50,000-unit mark.

According to brokerage firm Jeffries the share of EVs in two-wheeler registrations has jumped from 0.4 percent in FY21 to 5 percent in the July-September quarter for FY23, and the global brokerage firm estimates it to grow to 9 percent by FY25.

Although according to Jefferies, the big concern of new entrants in the segment will be squeezing out incumbents in two-wheelers.

Meanwhile, the launch today will also be in focus as Hero MotoCorp’s last launch of Xtreme 160R Stealth 2.0 wasn’t successful in cheering up the street as the company’s stock fell over 2 percent on the BSE a day after the launch.

At 10:35 am, shares of Hero MotoCorp are trading at Rs 2689, up by 1.62 percent from the previous close on the BSE.

When it comes to sales for September, Hero MotoCorp reported a 1.95 percent decline in total sales to 5,19,980 units. The company sold 5,30,346 units in the corresponding period a year ago.