India’s Hero MotoCorp, one of the world’s largest producers of motorcycles and scooters, plans to start selling e-scooters to the UK and at least two other European countries next year, in its first foray into a developed market.
Hero’s chief executive Niranjan Gupta said that the company, which also makes Harley Davidson motorcycles in partnership with the US company, may also export bigger vehicles with conventional petrol engines to European markets.
The moves come at a time when Indian officials say India and the UK are making progress on a free trade deal that would cut tariffs on goods, including in the automotive industry.
“The research has shown that in both the UK and Europe customers feel excited to receive this kind of product,” Gupta said in an interview. Hero will sell the e-scooters under its Vida electric brand.
Gupta said the UK launch was planned for mid-2025. Hero, which already exports to more than 45 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, has also announced plans to sell e- scooters in France and Spain.
In 2020, India updated its vehicle emission standards, resulting in its domestically produced vehicles meeting regulations in other markets around the world, including the EU.
