Hero Vida Nex 3 micro EV design patent surfaces in India

A design filing surfaces for Hero's tiny electric car

Hero MotoCorp has filed a design registration in India for the Vida Nex 3, the two seat electric microcar it first showed as a concept at EICMA 2025 in Milan. The filing was reported by Business Today on 4 November 2026, which described patent images showing a compact four wheeler with LED lighting, prominent bumpers and a distinctive rear end. Hero has not announced a launch date, a price or final specifications, so this is a filed design, not a confirmed product.

The Nex 3 seats two people in tandem, with the driver in front and a passenger directly behind, under a single door that opens upward in a gull wing style. Business Today reported the car's footprint is roughly one fourth that of a conventional car, built for short trips and tight parking in Indian cities. Hero Chairman Pawan Munjal has said the company is exploring micro mobility solutions without committing to entering the passenger car market, the report noted.

Part of a wider Vida Novus patent trail

The Nex 3 is one of three concepts under Hero's Vida Novus programme, alongside the Nex 1, a foldable personal mobility device, and the Nex 2, a self balancing electric trike. Carwale had covered the original EICMA 2025 reveal of all three, noting that the Nex 3 looked aimed at solving urban mobility problems through its compact size and limited seating.

Hero has already run this design through India's patent office once before. ZigWheels reported on 29 June 2026 that Hero had patented the design of the Vida Nex 2 trike in India, months after that concept was first shown at EICMA 2025. The pattern with Hero's Novus concepts has been to file for design protection in India well before any decision on production, and the Nex 3 filing follows the same path.

Business Today also reported that Hero showed working prototypes of the Nex 1 and Nex 2 at EICMA 2026 in Milan this month, with the Nex 1 carrying a claimed 20 km range. The Nex 3 was not named among the prototypes shown this year, which points to it still being at an earlier stage than its two siblings.

What a design filing does and does not mean

A design registration in India protects the shape, configuration and ornamentation of a product. It stops others from copying that look. It says nothing about whether the product will be built, sold or priced, and it carries no emission or safety certification. Hero has given no indication of when, or whether, the Nex 3 will reach an Indian showroom.

For now the Nex 3 remains what Hero itself has called a concept, filed for design protection in India but with no production commitment, no ARAI or BIS certification reported, and no price. Readers tracking Hero's electric plans should treat this as a filing to watch, not a car to expect soon.

Sources

• Remember Tata Nano? Hero's tiny two-seater electric car has an unexpected twist
• Hero Motocorp to Enter 4W Segment? Vida Nex 3 Concept Showcased
• Hero Vida NEX 2 Electric Trike Design Patent Filed In India