Electric Scooters Catching Fire: Govt Will Impose Heavy Penalty, Will Take Strict Action Against Such Companies

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari assured that the government will take strict actions with regards to the recent string of electric scooters catching fire.

These scooters have been manufactured by Ola Electric, Pure EV, Jitendra EV and Okinawa.

Telangana 

An 80-year-old man perished on wednesday when the battery of an electric scooter he was charging at home exploded.

Three of his family members suffered burn injuries.

This took place in Telangana’s Nizamabad district.

Pune

On 26 March an Ola Electric scooter caught fire in Lohegaon, Pune.

The cause was unclear and the government ordered a probe and called on the Centre for Fire Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) to do the same. 

The CFEES was asked to share the findings and suggest remedial measures.

Nashik 

20 of the 40 electric scooters belonging to Jitendra EV caught fire on April 9 when they were being loaded in a container.

Four other such incidents were reported from different places in the country.

Voluntary Recalls

Pure EV decided to recall 2,000 vehicles belonging to models ETrance Plus and EPluto 7G.

Okinawa took the same step, recalling 3,215 units of its Praise Pro scooter to fix battery related issues.

Gadkari said that an Expert Committee has been constituted in order to probe the incidents. 

Government’s Actions

After completion of their inquiry, they will make recommendations on remedial steps.

Based on the Committee’s reports, the government will issue necessary orders on the defaulting companies as well as quality-centric guidelines for Electric Vehicles.

If any company is found negligent in their processes, they will be fined a heavy penalty and will have to recall all their defective vehicles.

Companies can proactively take action to recall all defective batches of vehicles immediately.

Possible Causes

Experts have opined that several factors may be responsible for the fires. 

The scooter could have substandard components, incorrect assembly, or inability to dissipate heat under scorching temperatures in the country.

However, each incident may have its own cause and it cannot be generalised.