After the incident of fire in electric scooters in the past, the government seems to be in the mood for action. The government may ask the Ola and Okinawa electric scooters to be withdrawn. Sources familiar with this matter have given this information. In the last three weeks, there have been incidents of fire in four scooters of Ola Electric, Okinawa Autotech and Pure EV. In one of these incidents, a father and daughter were killed when their scooter caught fire in Okinawa in Tamil Nadu. This has created fear for the customers of Electric Vehicle (EV).
The Ministry of Road Transport has recently launched an inquiry into these incidents of arson. These incidents of fire can affect not only the companies but also the sales of electric vehicles in India. Along with this, efforts to become the hub of electric vehicles and batteries of the country can also be derailed.
Chardham Yatra became expensive due to rising prices of petrol and diesel
Giridhar Armane, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, says that we have ordered an investigation by experts into the incident of fire in the electric vehicle in the last two months. Once we get the report, we will take necessary action.
Battery can cause fire
Sandeep Kejriwal, co-founder of electronic equipment maker Virtual Forest Pvt Ltd, says the primary cause of fire in an electric two-wheeler could be the battery in the vehicle. This reflects the ills of using imported equipment to capture a greater share in the fast-growing EV market. The government should introduce stringent safety, quality and testing standards. Also there is a need to educate the consumers about the dos and don’ts considering the climatic conditions of the country.