In a landmark collaboration, Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, and Ather Energy, a leading Indian electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, have partnered to establish an interoperable fast-charging network in India. This groundbreaking initiative allows EV users to seamlessly access both VIDA and Ather Grids across 100 cities with over 1900 fast-charging points, forming the country’s largest EV charging ecosystem.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) recently approved the Light Electric Combined Charging System (LECCS), India’s first indigenously developed AC and DC Combined Charging connector standard for light electric vehicles. Leveraging this approved charging system, the combined network not only stands as the largest in India but also represents the world’s first interoperable fast-charging network for EV two-wheelers.
Customers can easily locate and navigate to charging stations through the “My VIDA” and Ather App, offering a user-friendly experience. The interoperability feature enables users to discover compatible locations, find the nearest charging station, check availability, and navigate to the selected station.
Dr. Swadesh Srivastava, Chief Business Officer – Emerging Mobility BU, Hero MotoCorp, expressed enthusiasm about extending their association with Ather Energy, highlighting the interoperable fast-charging network as a key component of VIDA’s commitment to building a worry-free EV ecosystem. He commended the teams at Ather and VIDA for setting another global benchmark in the two-wheeler EV space.
Swapnil Jain, Co-founder and CTO of Ather Energy, emphasized the significance of this partnership in scaling up charging infrastructure and providing consumers with access to an extensive network of charging stations across the country. The technical superiority of LECCS, made in India for India, is expected to attract more OEMs to adopt this standard. Ather Energy also pledged that any OEM adopting the LECCS standard will have access to Ather Grid across India, demonstrating the benefits of a unified standard for public charging infrastructure for two-wheelers.
