Hero Cycles to add new e-cycle assembly line in Manchester

INDIA's Hero Motors Company firm will add a new e-cycle assembly line within its manufacturing facility in Manchester to produce high-end, IoT enabled electric cycles for the UK and EU, the company said in a statement.

The new line by Hero International in Trafford Park is part of a £150 million group-wide investment and is expected to be operational by August 2022.

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According to the statement, the assembly line, part of Hero Cycles’ Global Design Centre, will produce 50,000 bikes over three years and scale up to a capacity of 30,000 bikes annually, besides creating jobs.

The company said that the line will produce 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.

“We are excited to expand our capabilities in Manchester to locally produce technologically advanced cycles and e-cycles that are extremely efficient, low-carbon personal mobility solutions. Our new facility will enhance the cost competitiveness of our products in the UK and the European region, making them more affordable; it will boost local innovation and exports from the UK," said Pankaj Munjal, chairman, and managing director, HMC, a Hero Motors Company.

"With our integrated ecosystem of Global Design Centres, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across geographies and strategic partnerships for R&D, Hero International will become a leading cycle and e-cycles maker by 2025.”

The company plans to make several international brands, currently manufactured in Hero Cycle’s advanced facilities in India, locally in Manchester.

It added that it is open to any UK and European Brand owners which are seeking a JIT Lean supply chain solution for their products to support the 'Made in the UK, Sold to the World' initiative.

"It’s fantastic news that Hero Cycles is further contributing to Greater Manchester’s commitment to a carbon-neutral future, thanks to its expansion in Manchester. Forward-thinking innovators such as Hero Cycles are leading the way in showcasing the world-class capabilities within the city-region for advanced manufacturing," said Tim Newns, CEO of Midas, Manchester’s Inward Investment Agency.

Hero Cycles currently operates two Global Design Centres in Manchester and in Berlin. Its e-cycle Valley in Punjab is one of the largest integrated cycle manufacturing facilities in the world with a capacity of 4 million annually.

Hero Motors also has a JV with Yamaha Motors, HYM Drive Systems and an MoU with Mitsui and Yamaha Motors to launch centre motor e-cycles.

Hero Cycles is a part of the HMC Group with a $ 1.2 bn asset base and over 10,000 people across the globe.