Hero Electric aims to train 20,000 roadside mechanics to handle EVs

The Gurugram-based firm, which sold around 53,000 electric two-wheelers last fiscal to lead the vertical, also aims to set up around 20,000 charging stations across the country over the next two years to ease range anxiety issues. It has already trained 4,000 mechanics and has also installed around 1,500 charging points till date.

Hero Electric MD Naveen Munjal said the electric segment is set to “explode” in the country in the coming years and so the company is on a move to further sharpen its competencies across various business verticals.

“We have currently over 600 dealers and sub dealers in the country. It’s a multi-layered approach which we are focusing on. We have dealers and then we also have sub dealers in the periphery areas to cater to the demand of the customers,” Munjal said. He noted in order to be close to the customer and take care of their day to day requirements the company is training roadside mechanics.

The company has already trained over 4,000 such roadside mechanics across the country and the idea is to take it up to 20,000 numbers by 2023 end or by early2024, he added.

“They are going to be our first line of service points, so that’s what we are doing. Besides, for customers who still have range anxiety issues, we are creating charging infrastructure as well. We have already installed over 1,500 charging points, the idea is that in two years we are going to take this to 20,000. So we are adopting a multi level approach to give confidence to customers,” Munjal said.

Elaborating on business plans, he said the company is aiming to sell 1 lakh units in 2021-22 fiscal, thus doubling its sales over 2020-21 fiscal where it dispatched around 53,000 electric two wheelers.

“This year we are targeting to double our sales to 1 lakh units. There is nothing less than that we are going to do. We are already at 8,500 units a month so now we are looking to continue this growth and expand from there. It is the bare minimum which we aim to achieve this fiscal,” Munjal said.