Indian motorcycle maker Hero MotoCorp launched its first electric scooter worldwide on Friday. It looks to catch up with newer businesses that have taken the lead in the country’s clean mobility push.
Prices will start at 145,000 rupees ($1,761.74) for the company’s Vida Plus model – higher than most electric scooters in India – but it will have a minimum range of 143km on a single charge, among the highest in India.
Like many legacy automakers in India, Hero Motocorp has been a laggard in electric two-wheelers, where start-ups such as Ather Energy and Softbank Group-backed Ola Electric have gained first-mover advantage.
“While it may have been our wish to launch this product earlier than we have, we had to get it aboslutely right for the greater good of everyone,” Hero MotoCorp Chairman Pawan Munjal told reporters at the launch event in Jaipur.