Today’s day and age is a transition period from fossil-fueled vehicles to battery-powered vehicles. This has resulted in multiple new products being launched in the electric vehicle (EV) space in India, especially in the two-wheeler segment. IC engine-powered vehicles still form the majority of total vehicles on road.
Switching to electric machines that look different will not be easy. Brand names like Activa, Splendor etc, which are the best-selling two wheelers of India, might get their own electric versions. These vehicles have not become best-sellers overnight. It has taken years. Manufacturers would want their best-selling brands to continue into the future, with electric versions.
Hero Splendor Electric Motorcycle Render
Automotive Designer Vinay Raj Somashekar has now created a render of Hero Splendor Electric motorcycle. Vinay says, “The Hero Splendor is the most quintessential motorcycle in the country, period. Its appearance is iconic and ageless. There is almost nothing random about its design. Every element feels meaningful and purposeful, and the proportions are spot on.”
“It’s kind of like Maggi Noodles. If tomorrow, they ship Maggi with 10% more garlic, the customer will be able to tell the difference, and will probably not accept the new version. The Splendor is something like that. It can’t be messed around with. They (Hero) shifted to clear lens multi-reflector halogens in 2004, self-start in 2010, and the seat was slightly lengthened in 2020. That’s it. Someday however, the inevitable must happen. It (Splendor) must go electric. But how?”
It is this thought process that has led to the interesting new render of Hero Splendor Electric. Vinay has managed to retain most of the signature design elements from the petrol-powered Splendor barring a few key and obvious variations. For instance, engine and gearbox assembly has been replaced by a battery pack enclosed within a blacked-out casing.
It gets attractive blue accents on headlamp casing, alloy rims, central panels and rear fender which create a nice contrast. The standard stainless steel grab rail is replaced by a single-piece plastic grab rail borrowed from HF Deluxe. It gets a slightly modified branding in the form of ‘eSplendor’ while the rear fender gets an ‘Urban’ tag.
In a practical world, some key changes would have to be made to Splendor’s structure. For example, the downtube chassis would have to be readjusted so that it can house a battery pack and mounting points for the motor. The tank would now comprise a charger circuit, master controller and other auxiliary electronics, while the side box would house a motor controller.
Spendor Electric Specs
Getting more into details, Hero Splendor Electric motorcycle render here would come with a fixed 4kWh battery pack that feeds energy to a 9kW mid-ship mounted electric motor which drives the rear wheels using a silent belt drive. There is also space for a secondary 2kWh battery pack which could be a removable unit in all probability. The additional battery pack increases the single-charge range by up to 50 percent.
The standard 4kWh battery pack offers a range of 120km on a single charge while with an additional 6kWh battery, this figure increases to 180km. Charging port is accessible through the fuel tank lid. The illustrator has also defined four different variants of eSplendor including Default, Utility+, Range+ and Range Max with different configurations.
As of now, Hero MotoCorp has not announced any plans to launch Splendor Electric. But there are a few aftermarket solutions. A few months ago, an EV conversion kit for Hero Splendor was launched by a Thane-based EV startup named GoGoA1. This was the first instance where an EV conversion kit for two-wheelers had been approved by an RTO.
