- Vida is Hero’s electric brand for e-wheels in India
- V1 is the first of many models to be launched in India
- Looks good, is feature loaded but is it the best?
Hero’s first ever electric scooter has kicked up a storm in the higher end of the electric scooter market in India. Under the new electric brand Vida, Hero has launched V1 in two versions of V1 Pro and V1 Plus. Bookings are currently open and we have ridden the scooter at Hero’s CIT facility near Jaipur. Should you be putting down your money for this one? Here are our pros and cons that you should be aware of!
Hero Vida V1 Pros
- Peppy Acceleration
Hero claims the larger battery pack version of V1 Pro accelerates from standstill to 40 km/h in just 3.2 seconds. This is as quick as the Ather 450X and much quicker than the Bajaj Chetak EV. This nature of the scooter will come handy in urban runs where you might want to squeeze into a gap or overtake slower moving traffic quickly. The regular V1 Plus does the same sprint of 0-40 km/h in 3.4 seconds, still good enough in our books - Feature loaded
The Vida V1 comes packed with ample features that are user friendly and helpful too. It has a cruise control set-up, a reverse mode, USB charging outlet, LED lights all around, a very good touch receptive screen, CBS or combined braking system and even a SOS switch that you can use during emergencies.
- Removable batteries
Now this is something that the segment leader Ola does not provide with S1 Pro. The two batteries can be removed and charged anywhere – office or home for example. This is extremely helpful in those areas where getting a power connection in the parking lot is not possible or feasible. Thumbs up to Hero for getting this done - Nimble handing
We rode the scooter twice at Hero’s test track outside of Jaipur. High speed manners are excellent and the scooter feels stable enough. Likewise, riding it on the handling track showed us its positive side in terms of agility. The same 12-inch wheels do come handy and its easy to throw the Vida V1 into corners and curves. The reassuring feel will aid riders on a daily basis we say - Hero’s eco-system
The Vida V1 can be charged at Ather’s grid network of chargers across India. These are paid but fast charging units and you will be able to get as much as 1.2km of riding in one minute of charge. Superb! Hero is also offering a buy back scheme for the scooter and repair on site service. Owners can also configure the V1 as per their choice on the scooter’s official website. - Safe, dependable and reliable
One of the biggest challenges and fears a prospective customer faces today is the questionable build quality. From software glitches to fire incidents, hardware failures to poor after sales support, the two wheeler EV space isn’t as organised and sorted as the four wheeler space. However, Hero aims to change this all. The Vida V1 has been under development for years, has undergone upto 2,00,000 km / 25,000 hours of real world tests and comes from a brand that is known for trust. Plus Hero’s unbeatable network means a service center will always be close by.
Hero Vida V1 Cons
- Limited Top speed
Hero claims the Vida V1 will hit a top whack of 80 km/h in the Sport mode. This translates to about 82 on the speedometer. The Ola S1 Pro on the other hand will easily go over 110 km/h. Hence for that occasional highway run, the Vida V1 might not be your best bet. - Missing features
Although the Vida V1 does provide a lot of features as mentioned above, a few are still missing. At this price point, we would have appreciated the presence of ABS or anti-lock braking system. Likewise, there are no storage spaces up front – so while you do have a USB charging outlet, you don’t have a place to keep your phone while it is being charged. - Limited availability
Hero is offering the Vida in just three cities of Bangalore, Jaipur and Delhi. Deliveries will start by end of the year and other regions will only be covered from 2023 onwards. This might be a hindrance for those looking at purchasing an electric scooter right away.
Hero Vida V1 Verdict
As the world’s largest manufacturer of two-wheelers, thousands of eager buyers were waiting for the Vida V1 Plus and V1 Pro. This is surely an all-rounder that manages to tick a lot of right boxes. While it may not be the cheapest or the quickest or the one with the longest range, it still feels complete and well made. Plus the trust and reliability factor of Hero.
