India: Hero MotoCorp’s first EV to be made at Chittoor plant, launch timeline announced

Hero MotoCorp is all set to venture into the EV space with the launch of its first electric vehicle by March 2022. The country’s leading two-wheeler manufacturer further confirmed that its first-ever EV will be manufactured at its plant in Chittoor that is located in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Hero MotoCorp says that its EV project is currently in the advanced stages and the said plant – aptly called Garden Factory for its eco-friendly and sustainable manufacturing practices – will provide an integrated ecosystem for Battery Pack Manufacturing and Testing, Vehicle Assembly, and Vehicle End of Line Testing (EOL).

Hero MotoCorp also states that in keeping with its Vision – “Be the Future of Mobility” – it is committed to bringing sustainable mobility solutions to its customers and is accelerating its focus on producing electric vehicles as an integral part of its product portfolio. Details about the brand’s first-ever EV are still unknown.

The upcoming Hero MotoCorp electric scooter has likely been designed and developed majorly at the company’s R&D centre or CIT (Centre of Innovation and Technology) in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The upcoming EV would lock horns against the likes of Ather 450X, Ola S1 Pro, Bajaj Chetak, and the TVS iQube and hence, will likely be positioned in the premium electric scooter segment.