Hero MotoCorp and Ather Energy Join Forces to Propel the EV Charging Ecosystem

Hero MotoCorp and Ather Energy, one of India's top electric vehicle manufacturers, have partnered to create an interoperable fast-charging network in India, marking a significant milestone for the EV industry.

Thanks to this partnership, EV users nationwide will be able to use VIDA and Ather Grids with ease. More than 1900 fast-charging stations spread across 100 cities will be part of the merged network.

The Light Electric Combined Charging System (LECCS), India's first-ever locally developed AC and DC Combined Charging connector standard for light-electric vehicles, was recently approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). With the authorized charging system, this combined network will be the biggest EV charging ecosystem in the nation.

Customers will be able to locate and navigate to the charging stations through the “My VIDA” and Ather App. The interoperability will enable them to discover only compatible locations, locate their nearest charging station, view its availability, and navigate to the station.

Commenting on the collaboration, Dr. Swadesh Srivastava, Chief Business Officer – Emerging Mobility BU, Hero MotoCorp, said: “We are happy to extend our association with Ather Energy through this interoperable fast-charging network. VIDA’s brand promise is building a “Worry-free EV ecosystem”, and this largest charging network in the country will go a long way in providing a seamless & convenient ownership experience to customers. This fastest-growing network utilizes the government-approved connector standard, thus ensuring current and future customers will be able to use and charge their vehicles without any hassles in the future. I congratulate the teams at Ather and VIDA for setting yet another global benchmark in the two-wheeler EV space.”

Swapnil Jain, Co-founder, and CTO, of Ather Energy, “We are happy to partner with Hero MotoCorp for setting the stage for an interoperable fast-charging network. It’s a massive win for Indian OEMs to collaborate on scaling up charging infrastructure. This partnership will pave the way for consumers to access an extensive network of charging stations nationwide, alleviating range anxiety. Given the technical superiority of LECCS and the fact that it was Made in India for India, we believe more OEMs will find it lucrative to adopt this standard.

Today we are also committing that any OEM that adopts the LECCS standard will have access to Ather Grid across India. With this interoperability, we are already demonstrating how it is beneficial for all OEMs to be on one standard. We believe that public charging infrastructure for two-wheelers is now set for collaborative expansion.”

This is the world's first interoperable fast-charging network for electric vehicle two-wheelers, not just in India. By bolstering the market as a whole and encouraging a convenient ownership experience, the interoperable network will hasten the adoption of electric vehicles.