Hero MotoCorp's first electric vehicle, the Vida V1 e-scooter will use smart e-scooter manufacturer Ather Energy's all-India public fast-charging network.

The Hero Vida V1 will be compatible with Ather Grid while Ather e-scooters too will be able to use Hero MotoCorp's EV charging network as well since both brands use Ather's open-sourced connector design.

Hero MotoCorp, an early investor in Ather since 2016, has an equity stake of around 35 % in the Bangalore-based EV maker.

In January 2022, Hero MotoCorp invested an additional Rs 4.2 billion (US$ 51.1 million) in Ather, which is among the top five EV OEMs in India.

Hero MotoCorp has ensured that the Vida V1 e-scooter hits the ground running.

Not only does the electric scooter have removable batteries and fast-charging capabilities built in, it can also make full use of the nationwide Ather Grid's DC fast-charging network, which has 350 stations operational.

No other electric two-wheeler manufacturer in the country has its fast-charging network up and running except for Ather Energy.

Hero also has plans to set up its own widespread fast-charging network which will be compatible with all Ather products in the future.

Both variants of the Vida V1 electric scooter have fast-charging capability at the rate of 1.2 km/min (slightly lower than the Ather's 1.5km/min), which enables them to charge from 0-80% in less than 65 minutes (claimed).

Further, in early September 2022, Hero MotoCorp inked a partnership with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) to set up EV charging infrastructure across India.

Coupled with its plans to export its Vida V1 e-scooter to European markets, Hero MotoCorp has outlined a number of growth-driving measures for its EV program.