Following several incidents of electric two-wheeler (EV) fire, Road Transport and Highways Secretary Giridhar Armane on Sunday said an inquiry would be conducted into each incident. With this, he said that the Indian Electric Vehicle Industry will go far beyond ‘our imagination’.
Armane said that the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways has monetized assets worth about Rs 21,000 crore in the financial year 2021-22 under the Centre’s National Monetization Pipeline Scheme. He said, “Every incident of fire in electric vehicle will be investigated.” Recently there have been many accidents of electric vehicle fire. Many people have died in these incidents.
Asked whether the battery fire incidents would affect India’s efforts to become a leader in the EV sector, Armane said it was not necessary. But companies will soon have to implement safety protocols and establish quality control and quality systems.
He said, “The Indian electric vehicle industry is moving ahead with more development than we imagined.” Armane said that the committee that probed the matter is yet to submit its report. He said that all problems related to battery and electric vehicle will be investigated for purchase, design, management, operation and manufacturing. Only after that appropriate action will be taken.
Recently, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said that negligent companies will be punished and after the committee gives its report, all defective vehicles will be ordered to be recalled.
Orders have been given last month to investigate the incident of fire in Ola electric scooter in Pune. According to the Ministry of Road Transport, it has been asked to investigate the circumstances that led to these incidents. Cepheus will also give its recommendations in this regard.
So far, one scooter of Pure EV, one from Ola, two from Okinawa and 20 of Jitendra EV have caught fire. On the question related to the introduction of assets in the market, Armane said, “In the last year (2021-22 FY), we raised more than Rs 15,000 crore through asset monetization.