Hero’s first electric scooter will be revealed soon according to Pawan Munjal and it will harbinger a slew of battery-powered two-wheelers from the brand
On a livestream celebrating his brand’s tenth anniversary, Hero MotoCorp’s Chairman and CEO, Pawan Munjal revealed what appears to be the first zero-emission scooter from the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the country. The e-scooter looks to be in a near-production state and surprisingly does not align itself with the Gogoro line of models.
The raked front telescopic suspension exposes a rather naked styling with minimalistic bodywork and the front apron is inclined with an LED headlamp unit. The dual-spoke black alloy wheels do give away the tyre sizes as the front is larger than the rear and it typically means 12- and 10-inchers. The Hero electric scooter also has a single-sided swingarm.
The steep black split seats, black grab rail and LED tail lamp can also be noted from the image. Other design highlights are a windscreen, flat footboard, and smooth flowing side panels while an LCD instrument cluster with connected features could be introduced as well upon arrival. In May 2021, Hero MotoCorp and Gogoro announced a new partnership.
The battery swapping JV will bring Gogoro’s unique platform to India alongside electric vehicle development to bring up Hero-branded electric two-wheelers powered by Gogoro Network. It will also take advantage of Hero’s local expertise and Gogoro’s learning over the years to provide smart vehicles and recharging with Gogoro Network battery swapping.
Reports suggested that Hero MotoCorp will launch its first battery-powered two-wheeler in the final quarter of this FY (January to March 2022 period). On the livestream though, Munjal announced that the scooter will be unveiled soon and thus its market debut may not be far away. The homegrown manufacturer has plans to invest up to Rs. 1,000 crore this FY as CAPEX.
It is said to be developing its own line of non-swappable electric two-wheelers and swappable battery vehicles in collaboration with Gogoro. The Powered by Gogoro Network Program will give Hero access to Gogoro’s intellectual properties like drivetrains, controllers, components and smart systems. The upcoming scooter may get swappable battery tech and fast charging capabilities as well and it is yet unknown what it will be christened as.