Speeding on the EV highway

HERE’S HOW HERO MOTOCORP’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE ARM IS LOOKING TO TRANSITION INTO A COMPREHENSIVE MOBILITY ECOSYSTEM

- KARTIKAY KASHYAP

HERO MOTOCORP'S ELECTRIC brand, Vida, commands approximately 11% of the electric two-wheeler (e-2W) market, making its parent the fourth largest e-scooter manufacturer in the country.

It trails TVS, Bajaj, and Ather, and has overtaken seven-year-old competitor Ola Electric. Its market share has nearly doubled from 6% to 11% in the past year, registering 21,812 units in June 2026 alone. Experts attribute this surge to its mass-market focus and the flexible battery-as-a-service (BaaS) programme, which lowers upfront acquisition cost.

While the ex-showroom prices of a Bajaj Chetak starts at ₹91,400 or a TVS iQube starts at ₹94,000 — Vida with BaaS would be available to the customer a tad below ₹50,000. The brand says it’s time now to transition from a niche electric scooter brand into a mainstream, global mobility platform. As a first step, it has unveiled a new visual and sonic identity for its EV arm, marking its first major refresh since 2022.

Kausalya Nandakumar, chief business officer, emerging mobility business unit, says the revamp mirrors a maturing domestic EV ecosystem, making this the perfect opportunity to establish a global visual framework. The brand is looking to offer solutions that are both aspirational and accessible to consumers.