Hero MotoCorp is targeting the top position in India’s electric two-wheeler market as it scales up its Vida business and continues to back Ather Energy.
“We clearly are focusing on being number one. There we are not shy of that,” Hero MotoCorp CEO Harsh Vardhan Chitale told Autocar Professional at the SIAM Annual Convention in New Delhi. He added that Vida and Ather, taken together, have already occupied the top position during some months.
Vida has gained almost 600 basis points of market share over the past year and is seeing year-on-year growth of around 100%, according to Chitale. Hero initially differentiated the brand through removable batteries, targeting, among others, customers living in apartments without convenient access to charging.
The company is now pursuing fixed-battery scooters alongside its removable-battery models. Chitale said the two configurations are attracting different sets of buyers. Fixed batteries allow Hero to offer a more competitively priced product, with the difference between the two configurations at around Rs 10,000.
Demand has prompted Hero to increase production. Chitale said EV capacity would rise by almost 50% this month compared with the previous month, followed by a further doubling by December. Demand for removable-battery models has remained strong despite the introduction of fixed-battery alternatives.
Hero’s electric mobility strategy also includes its investment in Ather, which it has supported through successive fundraises. For now, the two companies will continue pursuing independent product roadmaps rather than integrating their vehicle platforms.
Chitale said the companies discuss areas including battery-cell sourcing, software, motors and motor components. Joint sourcing could also be explored, although no such arrangement is currently underway.
Charging infrastructure is already an area of cooperation. Hero and Ather are part of an interoperable fast-charging initiative which, according to Chitale, now involves close to 20 companies and nearly 6,000 charging points.
Hero also has an interest in electric commercial vehicle maker Euler Motors. Chitale described Euler as potentially the “next Ather in making” and said Hero would continue supporting the company through its fundraises.
The combination of Vida, Ather and Euler gives Hero exposure across electric two-wheelers and commercial vehicles as it seeks a larger share of India’s expanding EV market.