Hero MotoCorp’s electric brand, Vida, commands approximately 11% of the electric two-wheeler (e-2W) market, making its parent the fourth largest e-scooter manufacturer in the country. It trails TVS, Bajaj, and Ather, and has overtaken seven-year-old competitor Ola Electric. Its market share has nearly doubled from 6% to 11% in the past year, registering 21,812 units in June 2026 alone. Experts attribute this surge to its mass-market focus and the flexible battery-as-a-service (BaaS) programme, which lowers upfront acquisition cost.
While the ex-showroom prices of a Bajaj Chetak starts at Rs 91,400 or a TVS iQube starts at Rs 94,000 — Vida with BaaS would be available to the customer a tad below Rs 50,000. The brand says it’s time now to transition from a niche electric scooter brand into a mainstream, global mobility platform. As a first step, it has unveiled a new visual and sonic identity for its EV arm, marking its first major refresh since 2022.
Kausalya Nandakumar, chief business officer, emerging mobility business unit, says the revamp mirrors a maturing domestic EV ecosystem, making this the perfect opportunity to establish a global visual framework. The brand is looking to offer solutions that are both aspirational and accessible to consumers.
From one product in 2022, Vida has broadened its portfolio to include the Vida VX2, the DIRT.E off-road electric motorcycle range and the Novus future mobility platform. The upcoming launches include the brand’s Project VXZ, a performance electric motorcycle, for which it has partnered Zero Motorcycles, a premium e-2W brand based in the United States. Then there is the MX7 which will be an offroading electric bike for adults. Another e-bike concept is the Ubex, a multi-terrain motorcycle for urban riding. “These concepts will have a niche following initially but will become aspirational for the consumer over time,” says Nandakumar.
The rebranding comes on the heels of VIDA’s strongest financial performance to date. In FY26, Vida registered a near 3x year on year volume growth, selling more than 151,748 e-2Ws.
Evidently, Hero is trying to ride the momentum in the e-2W market. According to data released by FADA, in FY26, about 1.4 million e-2Ws were sold in India, up 21.8% from 1.1 million sold the previous fiscal. The overall 2W segment grew at a much lower pace of 13.4% in the same period.
The penetration of e-2W grew marginally to 6.5% in FY26 from 6% the last fiscal. It has picked up pace since then. As per Vahan dashboard, e-2W registrations rose to 523,548 in Q1FY27 from 311,857 in the same period the previous fiscal. Meanwhile e-2W penetration also jumped to 9.2% from 6.3% in the same period.
“The rebranding exercise for VIDA and its portfolio expansion seems to be a fitting move at a time when the EV sector is surging due largely to the rise in fossil fuel prices,” says Faisal Kawoosa, co-founder & chief analyst, Techarc. Record-high fuel prices spurred by the West Asia conflict, extended government subsidies and the massive increase in affordable vehicle options have made electric mobility a mainstream conversation.
Building a distinctive identity
While the company is happy with Vida’s performance, the real distinction will come from its electric off-roading models like the Dirte K3 and MX7. Currently, no other player in the e-scooter space has a model in the adventure and off-roading space. “Hero will definitely have a first mover advantage in this category,” says Rakesh Srivastava, auto expert & former MD, Nissan Motor India.
Bengaluru-based, aviation-inspired EV manufacturer Ultraviolette recently launched its Shockwave model in the adventure category at an ex-showroom price of `1.75 lakh. If Hero Vida can replicate its success of Xpulse, it will give Indian audiences their first entry-level off-road and long route adventure e-bike. Though Hero has not revealed when the off-road EV bike will be launched or its price,
its stated objective of “making aspiration accessible to millions”suggests the brand’s pricing will be competitive.
However, experts say these concepts are still niche in the EV space and will take time to mature. “E-scooters still hold about 90% of the e-2W segment and other formats only cover about 10-12%,” says Saji John, independent auto analyst.
Given that, the marketing department’s job will not be easy. Naresh Gupta, CSO & managing partner, Bang In The Middle, says it will be an uphill journey for a brand that believes in value and functionality to move to performance and engineering. Agrees Nisha Sampath, managing partner, Bright Angles Consulting: “The higher-end EV models will eventually need a separate premium retail environment — like TVS is building with Paddock or Maruti has created with Nexa,” says Sampath.
The brand will have to also ensure that it does not alienate the existing customer base. The gig economy is a big consumer of Vida’s affordable offerings for product deliveries. “Hero should adopt a ‘premium ladder’ strategy, where entry-level products bring consumers into the ecosystem while premium motorcycles and new mobility offerings elevate overall brand perception,” says Yasin Hamidani, director, Media Care Brand Solutions.