Hero MotoCorp may be the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world for internal combustion engines, but it does not make the most electric two-wheelers. However, the automaker with headquarters in New Delhi intends to alter that. The company announced the establishment of Vida, a new electrified subsidiary, back in August of last year. Hero MotoCorp stated that its sub-brand will focus purely on electric mobility solutions with its products and it gave us the date of March of this year for the launch. Although it was delayed and postponed to July and then it was confirmed for October 7. Following this Hero MotoCorp has now revealed a few more details about the company’s first electric scooter.
The two-wheeler manufacturing giant in its recent social media post shared, “New VIDA takes charge of charging! You can now charge your electric scooter at home, in parking lots, and at our public charging stations. #VidaEV #VidaEScooter #NotFirst #EV #ElectricScooter #CleanMobility”. Hero MotoCorp further noted that the Vida will employ a modular charging system with portable batteries in a different post. With this configuration, customers may immediately replace exhausted batteries without having to wait hours for a complete recharge. Hero and Gogoro have collaborated to establish battery swapping stations all throughout India in order to make this possible.
As for other details of the new electric scooter, Hero has been tight-lipped till now but it will be soon announcing everything at its launch event in just a few days’ time. Sources claim and believe that the new e-scooter will be priced in the vicinity of Rs 1 lakh and will be taking on rivals like TVS iQube and Bajaj Chetak. It is also speculated that Hero will not be creating a performance scooter, rather it will be focusing more on durability and reliability.
In other related Hero news, the company recently unveiled the Xtreme 160R Stealth 2.0 Edition, which carries a retail price of Rs. 1.30 lakh (ex-showroom). The special edition boasts an improved design and a variety of smartphone connectivity options, but mechanically it remains unaltered. Hero Motocorp has unveiled the Xtreme 160R Stealth 2.0 Edition in India in an effort to make the most of the festive sales potential. This special version comes with ‘Hero Connect’ functionality in addition to an exclusive mystery matte black colour.
The new stealth edition gets some unique additions to add to the overall appearance. The frame, telescopic fork, and pillion grip all get bold red accents, which complement the mysterious matte black colour to create an athletic appearance. Additionally, the Stealth 2.0 Edition receives a belly shroud that harmonises with the bike’s overall style, and the useful knuckle guards increase protection. The special edition’s technology for connecting smartphones is called “Hero Connect.” It provides a variety of warnings, including Geo-Fence, Speed, Topple, Tow Away, and Unplug alerts, to keep the rider informed about their vehicle.
As mentioned earlier mechanically the bike remains unaltered and comes powered by a 163cc air-cooled BS-VI compliant engine, punching out 15.2 bhp and 14 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a 5-speed constant mesh gearbox and the bike can do the 0-60 kmph sprint in just 4.7 seconds.
