Hero MotoCorp To Debut Maiden Electric Motorcycle Next Year

Auto giant Hero MotoCorp is all set to unveil its first batch of electric motorcycles next year. While the company already operates in the electric vehicle (EV) segment through VIDA, this will mark the two-wheeler juggernaut’s foray into the e-bike segment. 

Responding to a question about the timeline of the launch of the e-bikes during Hero MotoCorp’s Q1 FY27 earnings call, the chief business officer (CBO) of the company’s emerging mobility business unit, Kausalya Nandakumar, said, “It’s not this year. We will be looking at products coming in from… next year”.

The legacy two-wheeler giant so far has plans to launch two electric motorcycles next year. Elaborating on this, Nandakumar said that the first product, internally code-named Project Ubex, will look to develop an electric motorcycle suited for “urban mobility”. 

“This will be a good performance motorcycle for consumers looking for both the thrill and acceleration of a motorcycle on an EV platform but also extremely city and road friendly”, she added.

Nandakumar further added the second e-bike, code-named VXZ, will be a high-performance vehicle “catering to those consumers who are looking for adventure”. This motorcycle has been developed in collaboration with US-based Zero Motorcycles.

“… These are new platforms that we are developing with learnings from the scooter platform, but with technology that is suited to what a motorcycle consumer is actually looking for in terms of performance, rideability, credibility, and range,” added the CBO of Hero MotoCorp’s emerging business.

The auto giant is timing the two launches ahead of Delhi government’s proposed ban on sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) two-wheelers in the national capital from April 2028.

“Coming to product portfolio, way before this policy goes into effect, we will have a range of motorcycles in the market. And we are progressing well on that,” said Hero MotoCorp CEO Harshavardhan Chitale.

This marks the first that the legacy giant is foraying into the e-bike segment even as it works to develop the technology. The electric two-wheeler (E2W) market is currently dominated by e-scooters, with e-motorcycles accounting for a minuscule share.

Within this emerging market, a wave of new-age players have spawned to cater to the growing consumer need for electric motorcycles. Ultraviolette, known for its high-performance electric bike called F77, continues to attract major institutional funding. Meanwhile, other smaller players such as Oben Electric and Matter Motor have also also rolled out e-bikes to carve a niche in the space. 

However, the e-bike ecosystem continues to be marred by engineering challenges, high purchase prices and lacklustre resale value. Nevertheless, the entry of Hero MotoCorp and the launch of new electric bikes could intensify the competition and bring more riders from the mainstream ICE ecosystem.

This comes even as E2W registrations jumped  85% to 1.91 Lakh units in July this year from 1.03 Lakh units in the same period last year. 

At the heart of all this is the Indian EV market, which is projected to become a $132 Bn opportunity by 2030.

The post Hero MotoCorp To Debut Maiden Electric Motorcycle Next Year appeared first on Inc42 Media.