Next wave in India's electric mobility: TVS, Hero arm themselves with e-motorcycle tech, designs

Royal Enfield, a heavyweight in bigger conventional motorcycles, is also planning the launch of its e-bike brand, Flying Flea, by March 2026. Further, Bajaj Auto said in August that it is developing an electric motorcycle, without giving more detail.

Two-wheeler electrification in India has so far remained focused on scooters in an overall market otherwise dominated by motorcycles. Of the some 19 million two wheelers sold in fiscal 2025, only 1.14 million were electric, of which less than 1% were motorcycles.

Speaking ahead of the EICMA motorshow in Italy which started on 4 November, TVS chairman and managing director Sudarshan Venu told Mint that its premium motorcycle brand Norton could see electric motorcycles as an opportunity in the future.

"The brands always have to evolve with time. We have also done a tech demonstrator already on an electric superbike at Norton," Venu said. “In the future, electric motorcycles are something that could be an opportunity."

In-house job

This is the first time the country's third largest two-wheeler maker TVS has acknowledged that it has got access to the e-bike technology. So far, the Hosur-based company has focused on electric scooters in India with TVS iQube and TVS Orbiter which propelled it to the top two of the electric two-wheeler segment.

The e-bike tech and design was developed in-house by Norton. TVS acquired Norton five years ago for ₹153 crore in April 2020 in a bid to expand its premium portfolio. The company has spent more than ₹1,000 crore in developing technologies and products, including electric bike technology.

Electric motorcycles present challenges that are different from those faced by e-scooter makers. While motor design, thermal management, battery packing, and overall system integration are hurdles common to both, the more powerful bikes have their own set of problems, an expert said.

“In an e scooter, the shape results in a good location for the battery and motor. In bikes, it needs to be more remote. Moreover, scooters can run at low speed limits but bike expectation is 80 kmph min," said Subhabrata Sengupta, partner at Avalon Consulting.

This adds to production costs making use cases for e-bikes unclear. It will be more high end as of now, Sengputa predicted.

Collaborative tech

Hero MotoCorp, the country’s largest two-wheeler maker, also announced at the EICMA motorshow that it now has concepts for two electric motorcycles ready. Hero’s electric business is housed under the VIDA brand which sells scooters in India.

VIDA’s first global electric motorcycle, the Ubex, combines futuristic design with multi-terrain capability, the company said.

“Built on a modular platform with advanced smart connectivity, the Ubex offers class-leading ride comfort and versatility, setting a new standard for electric motorcycles," it added.

Moreover, the company also noted that it has developed an electric motorcycle, Project VxZ, along with US-based Zero Motorcycles, which the Hero statement described as a leader in high-performance electric motorcycles.

So far, only one of the five top e-scooter makers in India, Ola Electric, has an electric motorcycle. The e-bike segment is marked by smaller players such as Ultraviolette, Revolt Motors and Matter Motor.

There are still doubts among some players about the viability of the electric motorcycle technology, with Ather Energy holding back on commitment to launch the vehicles yet.

“We haven’t seen bike buyers willing to make the switch, and it’s not subsidies holding them back. There’s something else at play. It’s not as simple as saying, ‘Give more subsidies and electric bikes will sell.’" Tarun Mehta, co-founder and chief executive at Ather, told Mint in an interview in August.

“We’re trying to figure that out, and once we have the answer, we’ll be 100% ready with products."