Hero-Zero Motorcycles partnership could spawn a sporty motorcycle which could take on the Ultraviolette F77…
Last year Hero MotoCorp finalised their partnership with California-based electric motorcycle company, Zero Motorcycles, with an aim to ‘Co-develop Electric Motorcycles’.
Hero has planned an ‘Equity Investment’ of up to USD 60 Million (~ Rs. 492 Crore) in Zero Motorcycles. Apart from sourcing technology from Zero, there is an obvious expectation of cost-effective electric 2-wheelers co-developed by both the brands.
In its latest Annual Report, Hero has said that it will introduce Zero’s portfolio in India. In addition, it has clearly specified that California-based Zero will also be manufacturing its products here in our country.
We will be bringing the Zero portfolio into India, increasing access for the Indian consumer to the best of international clean mobility options. California-headquartered Zero will be manufacturing its products in India too.
This means that highly capable machines like Zero SR/F with a claimed range of 229 km and cruising speeds of 177 km/h could make their way to our shores. It will not be a cheap machine though, mind you. In the U.K. it costs an equivalent of roughly Rs. 21 Lakh, however, we will be witness to some fine technology and machinery that could percolate to smaller, more affordable motorcycles in the future. There is even this possibility of some performance-oriented Zero motorcycles being manufactured here that could bring the prices down.
The Hero-Zero Motorcycle partnership is a very ambitious one. Hero MotoCorp will be utilising their strong manufacturing prowess alongside Zero Motorcycle’s brain power and technical know-how to create their own electric motorcycles. We have already seen the first fruits of Hero and Harley joint venture and the X440 looks to be a very capable motorcycle, at very affordable prices.
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The Zero Motorcycle partnership is Hero MotoCorp’s 3rd such partnership in order to accelerate their aim to enter & dominate the electric two-wheeler market of India.
Back in April 2021, Hero partnered with Gogoro to leverage the Taiwanese company’s expertise in battery swapping technology. They have further partnered with Bharat Petroleum to quickly expand the charging infrastructure for electric two-wheelers.
