Indian 2-wheeler giant Hero MotoCorp had announced an all-new electric brand earlier this year and had named it Vida. Now bang in the middle of the festive season, the brand has launched its first scooter in the market called the Vida V1. The electric 2-wheeler has been launched in 2 variants – Vida V1 Plus and Vida V1 Pro, the latter getting a bigger battery pack, faster pick-up and a longer range. The scooter has been designed and developed at Hero’s R&D hubs, the Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur and the Hero Tech Centre Germany (TCG) near Munich.
Features
The Vida V1 gets features like Projector headlamps with LEDs, keyless entry, follow me home lights and cruise control. The 7-inch TFT touchscreen comes with turn-by-turn navigation while you also get over the air updates for easy functionality. The scooter also provides features like customer geo-fencing, speed and distance limits as well as real time tracking which helps prevent theft or vandalism. You also get a 2-way throttle to provide reverse and regenerative assist. While the V1 Plus is available in three colours – matte white, matte sports red and gloss black, the VIDA V1 Pro additionally also gets the matte abrax orange shade.
Electric Power Train
Vida V1 features a high-voltage Li-Ion based battery with nickel manganese cobalt chemistry having a net energy content of 3.94 kWh in V1 Pro while the V1 Plus has a net energy content of 3.44 kWh.
The scooter features a highly integrated e-drive unit within a single housing that has a PMSM electric motor, IP 68 compliant and transmission. It gets a top speed of 80 kmph, acceleration from 0 to 40kmph in 3.2 seconds with a maximum output of 6kW. On the V1 Plus acceleration from 0 to 40kmph takes 3.4 seconds. Both the variants are available in four riding modes – Sport, Ride, Eco & Custom. While the V1 Pro offers a range of 165 kms, the V1 Plus offers a range of 143 kms.
You also get a limp home feature which keeps the rider agnostic of being stranded. It offers an ability to drive at 10 kmph for about 8 kilometers, in case the state of charge (SOC) drops below a pre-defined limit. Hero says the Vida V1 goes up a gradient of 18+ degrees with a 60 % SOC and 2 riders. It comes with standard 5-year warranty for 50,000 kms. The batteries are covered by a warranty valid for three years or up to 30,000 kilometers.
Safety
According to Hero the batteries have gone through many industry-first test protocols for reliability.The V1, Hero says, has been designed and tested for withstanding dusty environment, potholes and uneven roads, heavy rains, water-logged roads as well as high temperatures.
Charging
Vida V1 comes with 2 removable batteries which can be integrated at home to enable charging up to 11kW. Hero MotoCorp says it aims to build one of the best charging networks in the two-wheeler segment with fast chargers which will be accessible to owners of electric two-wheelers of all brands.
Using DC fast charging the Vida V1 can be charged at the rate of 1.2 km/minute from 0-80 % on both the variants. Using an 11 kW AC home charger the V1 Plus will take 5 hours and 15 mins to charge from 0-80 % while the V1 Pro will take 40 minutes longer.
Prices
The Vida V1 plus has been priced at Rs. 1.45 lakh while the Vida V1 Pro is priced at Rs. 1.59 lakh, ex-showroom, though the actual on-road cost will depend on the subsidy offered by respective states. Bookings for the scooter have already begun with an amount of Rs. 2,499 while the deliveries will commence from the second week of December. Initially the product will be available for sales only in Delhi, Bengaluru and Jaipur and will be available in other cities later, the timing of which hasn’t been specified by Hero. The company has also introduced a buy-back scheme under which the vehicle can be returned at 70% of purchase value between the 16th to 18th months of ownership. The brand is also offering a first-of-its-kind test-ride for up to 3 days as well as repair on-site facility for its first electric scooter.
The author is a senior editor at carandbike.com