Hero MotoCorp is one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in India. Catering to a wide audience, the brand’s offerings encompass city models, scooters, and utility vehicles, as well as more recently, premium models like the Mavrick 440. Hero MotoCorp also has a number of electric initiatives, such as the Vida V1 and Surge, a wholly-owned startup dedicated to the development of interesting electric concepts.
At the recently concluded Hero World 2024, the Surge 32 was unveiled, and it is certainly the first of its kind to come from an established and conventional manufacturer. Hero describes the S32 as a “modular” electric vehicle, which can be used as an electric scooter for personal mobility and as a tricycle for cargo or passenger transportation. Essentially, the S32 consists of two main components: a standalone electric scooter and a chassis with two rear wheels and no front wheel. Therefore, technically, people who purchase the S32 are acquiring a two-in-one vehicle.
Surge claims that it takes just three minutes to convert the scooter into a tricycle. All you have to do is attach the scooter to the front part of the chassis, where the scooter’s front wheel will take care of the tricycle’s steering. The scooter’s rear wheel will not be used and will rest on the chassis platform. Both the scooter and the chassis have their own independent motors and batteries, and the scooter connects to the chassis via an electronic device that allows the rider to use the scooter’s handlebars and controls to drive the chassis.
In terms of performance specifications, the S32 scooter has up to 6 kW of power or about 8 hp, while the chassis, to account for heavier loads, has an output of 10 kW, or about 13.5 hp. As for the batteries, Surge will use the existing technology from Vida, a subsidiary of Hero’s EV.
In fact, a concept like this is completely new, and Hero MotoCorp had to work with the Ministry of Road Transport in India to create a new category of vehicle registration called “L2-5”.
