Big Move : On Friday, Hero MotoCorp announced that it would turn EV and Emerging Mobility Business Unit (EMBU) into a fully independent unit from 1 February. The EMBU was established by the automaker in 2019 to push forward developments in emerging mobility – electric vehicles included.
Hero MotorCorp’s plan for EVs
The EV & Emerging Mobility Business Unit will now function as a completely empowered independent unit “driving the EV revolution and next-generation mobility under the guidance of its executive chairman Pawan Munjal,” the company said in an exchange filing Friday.
“This restructuring will help enhance relationships with customers as the product development teams across EMBU, Hero Tech Centre Germany (TCG) and Hero Centre for Innovation and Technology (CIT) will synergise to create new industry yardsticks.”The strategic shift comes at a time when Hero MotoCorp’s chief executive officer Niranjan Gupta and the chief business officer of its India Business Unit, Ranjivjit Singh are also leaving the company on April 30. Swadesh Srivastava is then the chief business officer for EMBU.
Hero MotoCorp, India’s biggest two-wheeler manufacturer, is ramping up its electric vehicle efforts to boost its mid-single-digit EV market share. The company began selling electric scooters under the Vida brand in 2023 and has been little by little extending its reach across the country. Vida had over 180 dealers in over 116 cities and 203 touchpoints last year.
Under the Vida brand, the company currently has two models – Vida V1 and Vida Z. Last month, it revealed to expand operations in the UK and Europe for the Vida brand in the latter half of the year. Hero MotoCorp will make Vida Z its first model in these markets.
Automaker plays out global business and electric mobility potential. againt Munjal said the company’s looking at global business and EVs as long-term revenue drivers.
As per exclusive news reported by our sister publication Autocar Professional, Hero MotoCorp is expeditiously ramping up its mainstream zero-emission market play with 12 new models – from entry-level two-wheelers to dirt bikes to high-performance e-bikes – planned in the 2-3 year future.The company is working on one of its biggest projects, the electric variation of its popular Splendor motorcycle. This product is being developed at the company’s technology centre, CIT, in Jaipur for almost two years and will be launched in 2027.
Hero MotoCorp has a tie up with electric motorcycle company Zero Motors based out of the US and expects to launch two e-bikes equivalent to 500-600 cc motorcycles under this partnership in 2026-27. It is also collaborating with Ather Energy, which is around 44%-owned by Hero, to develop the country’s electric vehicle ecosystem. In addition to ramping up EVs, the automaker is working on hybrid, flex fuel and ethanol-fuel technologies.