Bicycle purveyor Hero International, a sister company to India’s largest motorycle and scooter manufacturer Hero MotoCorp within the Hero Motors Group, is to install a new e-bicycle assembly line at its Trafford Park Hero Cycles Global Design Centre site in Manchester.
Part of a group-wide £150m investment, the development is expected to become operational by August. Initially, it will produce about 50,000 e-bikes over the first three years, before scaling up to an annual 30,000-unit capacity. Several global brands, presently assembled at advanced Hero facilities in India, will transfer to Manchester for UK and EU distribution.
The products in question are described as: “high-end smart bikes that understand the user with the help of advanced technologies such as IoT and Google services integration, along with anti-theft systems and advanced telematics”.
Commenting on this decision, Hero Motors chairman and managing director Pankaj Munjal said: “We are excited to expand our capabilities in Manchester to locally produce technologically-advanced bicycles and e-bicycles that are extremely efficient, low-carbon personal mobility solutions.”
Whether the Trafford Park corporate campus will be involved in any European delivery of Hero MotoCorp’s separate motorcycle and scooter electrification programme is currently opaque.