Hero MotoCorp, world's largest two-wheeler maker, to go electric come 2022

Hero MotoCorp on Friday announced that it will be launching its first battery-powered scooter in the Indian market by March 2022. The company confirmed the news in a release sent earlier today.

The Splendor maker also confirmed that its electric vehicle project is already in the advanced stages and the product will be manufactured at its plant in Chittoor, in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

India's largest two-wheeler maker has already provided a sneak peek on its electric scooter earlier this year. In April this year, the company had signed an agreement with Taiwanese company Gogoro to share battery swap technology and more features with the tech giant.

Hero's first battery-powered offering will come based more or less on the concept the glimpse of which was shared previously. Though the final production-spec model isn't likely to receive a single-sided swingarm but expect it to get full-LED lighting, fast charging, long range and a provision for swappable battery packs.

When launched, Hero's first EV will give a tough fight to the already established rivals such as the Bajaj Chetak electric, Ather 450X and TVS iQube among others. Hero will also most likely price the scooter aggressively to catch up with its rivals. Expect the scooter to come under ₹1 lakh.

Niranjan Gupta, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Hero MotoCorp, said, “In keeping with its strategic vision ‐ Be The Future of Mobility’, Hero MotoCorp is steadily progressing on the path to carbon neutrality and sustainability and is investing in this transformation. The company is taking a comprehensive approach, ranging from research and development to production of green vehicles, which also includes forging strategic collaborations and partnerships."