Hero Moto puts brakes on BS IV Splendor, other models, forms team to oversee BS VI transition

Hero MotoCorp, the world's largest two-wheeler maker, has stopped the production of over 50 variants of its Bharat Stage IV models, and has constituted an interim council to oversee the company’s transition to the Bharat Stage VI emissions regime, a source said.

Among others, Hero has discontinued the BS-IV variants of the Splendor, HF Delux and Glamour motorcycles and the Pleasure scooter, and others will soon be discontinued, according to an official of a company. The company informed dealers of this decision recently.

The BS-VI norms kick in from April 1, 2020, under which auto companies are required to produce vehicles with far lower emissions compared to those allowed under the current BS-IV norms. No BS-IV vehicles will be registered after April 1, 2020, though those sold now will be allowed to ply for the duration of their lifetime.

The company also set up an interim council, comprising top leaders, which will oversee the company’s transition to BS-VI. The council was set up after Sanjay Bhan, the company’s Head of Sales, After-Sales and Parts recently resigned.

The council includes Malo Le Masson, head of global product planning and Niranjan Gupta, Chief Financial Officer. “The interim office will look after sales and after-sales during the transition period,” said the official. “The council will oversee the sales and after-sales function as Bhan has been relinquished from his duties to pursue opportunities outside of Hero MotoCorp.”

“The interim council, which comprises of Hero’s leadership team and will be operational from December 13, and will play an important role to guide, support and handhold the sales and after-sales team to migrate the entire inventory to BS-VI well before the deadline of March 31, 2020,” the official added.

Meanwhile, Hero MotoCorp is ramping up its BS-VI variants.