This Premium Electric Motor Will Be Built In India

Zero DSR/X, this liquefied motorbike is priced at IDR 367 million. (Doc. Zeromotorcycles)

JAKARTA - MotoCorp Hero has long been the largest motorcycle producer in India, and India itself is the world's largest motorcycle market. Although Honda still outperforms Hero in terms of global motorcycle production, Hero's ability to manufacture, procurement, and marketing certainly cannot be underestimated.

Apart from being experienced in producing conventional fuel motorcycles in both motorcycle and scooter format, Hero also recently released their first electric motorcycle in early 2022. The electric motorcycle is called Vida V1, and the technology is supported by Hero's collaboration with the Taiwanese scooter and electrical technology company Gogoro.

But earlier in late September 2022, the Indian motorcycle giant made an investment announcement of US$60 million in California-based electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero Motorcycles.

Most recently, from Hero MotoCorp's latest Annual Report, their plans for partnerships and investments with Zero Motorcycles were revealed.

The report unveiled Hero's partnership plan with Zero Motorcycles, allowing Hero to jointly develop premium electric motorcycles, by leveraging their expertise to create innovative and high-powered electric vehicles.

Hero aims to reach a wider consumer segment and take advantage of the global shift to electric mobility. Furthermore, the report states that "this collaboration combines Zero's expertise with Hero MotoCorp's ability in terms of manufacturing, procurement, and marketing".

"We have just partnered with Zero Motorcycles to develop premium electric motorcycles. This will be a significant additional force in our continued mobility journey. This partnership allows us to combine Zero's world-class expertise in developing electric engines and motorcycles with our manufacturing and distribution capabilities", reads the report, quoted from Rideapart, July 27.

California-based Zero Motorcycles is also said to be producing its products in India. If this is true, it will compete with another premium electric motorcycle manufacturer, Energica, which has publicly expressed its intention to enter the Indian market by 2024.