Hero MotoCorp to enter Europe with EV range next year

Two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp plans to enter the European market with its electric scooter range next year.

The company is looking to introduce the VIDA V1 electric scooter range in Spain, France, and the United Kingdom by mid-2024.

"With this foray into Europe with our electric vehicles, I am confident that Hero MotoCorp will soon emerge as a trusted brand in key markets in the region, just as it has done in other parts of the world," said Pawan Munjal, Executive Chairman, Hero MotoCorp, at the EICMA motor show in Milan, Italy.

The company's philosophy to have a clean, equitable and hospitable planet for future generations is enacted through its products and services, he added.

Hero MotoCorp CEO Niranjan Gupta said the company is collaborating with credible partners in the United Kingdom, Spain, and France to start commercial operations in each of these markets by mid-2024.

"We will first introduce our electric scooter VIDA V1 in these countries and then expand our offerings with high-capacity premium ICE motorcycles and scooters, which are showcased here," he noted.

With expertise in providing high-quality personal mobility solutions at accessible prices, the company is confident that the new range of products will be appreciated by customers across geographies, said Gupta.

VIDA V1 will be the first product to enter multiple European markets, starting with Spain and France.

Simultaneously, the company will also commence operations in the United Kingdom. In due course, it will also bring its premium range of ICE motorcycles and scooters to these countries.

Hero MotoCorp said it has identified distributors for each of these countries and is in the process of finalising commercial agreements.

In the UK, Motogb will be the company's distributor, while GD France will be its distributor in France. Noria Motos, a subsidiary of the Onex group, will be Hero MotoCorp's distributor in Spain.

The company unveiled two new internal combustion engine (ICE) scooters—Xoom 125R and Xoom 160—at the show. Both scooters will enter multiple geographies soon, it said.

VIDA V1 is the company's first e-scooter, launched under its emerging mobility brand VIDA.

Hero MotoCorp had ventured into the electric segment under the VIDA brand in October last year.

The company manufactures its electric scooter range at its plant in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.

Hero MotoCorp also showcased a comprehensive portfolio of high-capacity premium motorcycles by unveiling Concept 2.5R XTunt, which is a new category for the company. It also unveiled two EV concepts: Lynx and Acro. Both these products are a completely new take on urban mobility and have been developed at the company's European R&D hub—the Hero Tech Center Germany, near Munich.