Hero Vida V1 launched in India at a starting price of Rs. 1.45 Lakh

Hero MotoCorp's first electric scooter Vida V1 is now all ready to go on sale in India. The Vida V1 will be available in two variations, the V1 Plus and V1 Pro, each costing Rs. 1.45 lakh and Rs. 1.59 lakh.

Hero MotoCorp is embracing the adage "better late than never" as it introduces the Hero Vida V1 in India, the company's first-ever electric two-wheeler. It has taken a while for the Hero Vida V1 to become available, and it is the first EV produced under Hero's Vida EV brand. The Vida V1 will be available in two variations, the V1 Plus and V1 Pro, each costing Rs. 1.45 lakh and Rs. 1.59 lakh. The Vida V1 receives a 3.94 kWh high-voltage Lithium-Ion battery in the V1 Pro model and a 3.44 kWh battery in the V1 Plus model. Hero claims that the batteries have undergone numerous industry-first reliability testing procedures and can withstand stress loads.

The advertised range and acceleration time for the Vida V1 Pro are 165 kilometres and 3.2 seconds, respectively. The V1 Plus has a 143 km range and accelerates from 0 to 40 km/h in 3.4 seconds. A 1.2 km per minute fee is possible for both scooters. The top speed of both scooters will be 80 kmph. Unusual in its design, the Hero Vida V1 has a large front apron and a narrow body in the back. While the Vida V1 Pro comes in four colours, including these three and Matte Abrax Orange, the Vida V1 Plus is only offered in three colours: Matte White, Matte Sports Red, and Gloss Black.

Other amenities include keyless entry, a 7-inch touchscreen, cruise control, S.O.S. Alert, over-the-air updates, and a two-way throttle. Additionally, each variation has three riding modes: Eco, Ride, and Sports. Hero MotoCorp also unveiled the Vida charging network along with the scooter. Beginning on October 10, 2022, reservations for the scooter will cost Rs. 4,999. The Vida V1 will first be introduced by Hero in a few locations, including Bengaluru, Delhi, and Jaipur.

The Vida V1 electric scooter was created in collaboration with the Taiwanese company Gogoro. The scooter has a technology for interchangeable batteries that also enables the user to remove the battery and charge it at their convenience at home or at work. The Hero MotoCorp Vida V1 will compete against EVs made by Ather Energy, Ola Electric, Okinawa, Simple Energy, and other manufacturers. It's interesting to note that Hero partnered with Ather Energy to use the latter's fast-charging technology for upcoming products. In order to build an uniform charging ecosystem for EVs, Ather had opened its charging IP last year and urged other electric vehicle manufacturers to implement its fast-charging technology.

Hero claims to have tested more than 1,000 prototypes to date (1,006 to be exact). These prototypes were put through a total of 2 lakh kilometres of testing across the nation, and DLF Cyber Hub in Gurugram, Haryana, also had parts and components on exhibit for public observation. Hero MotoCorp is also introducing extra conveniences including low interest rates on financing, a first for the industry buy-back promise, where the firm might buy the scooter back for up to 70% of the value within 16–18 months, as well as three-day test drives. Beginning in the second week of December 2022, the scooter will first be delivered to the cities of Delhi, Bengaluru, and Jaipur.