EV fire: Govt asks electric two-wheeler manufacturers to stop new launches

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways held a meeting to discuss the rise in battery-related fires that have caused deaths and critical injuries to several people, reported MoneyControl.

However, makers have been allowed to sell the current models. But manky companies like OlaElectric, Okinawa, Pure EV have made recalls, to ascertain the possible flaws that may have triggered fires.

Okinawa issued the biggest recall with 3,215 scooters going back to base, Pure EV, which has had many fire-related incidents since 2021, also forms a major portion of the number of recalled scooters with Ola Electric having recalled 1,441 scooters, according to the MoneyControl report.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari threatened manufacturers with penalties if they failed to recall the scooters in time.

Gadkari had urged the EV companies to make voluntary recalls of batches with faulty EVs, adding that an Expert Committee has been constituted to enquire into these incidents and make recommendations on remedial steps.

Based on the reports necessary orders on the defaulting companies will be issued and quality-centric guidelines for Electric Vehicles will also be issued soon, he added.

For the time being, the government does not want companies to launch faster, bigger, and potentially more dangerous versions of the possibly faulty scooters.

According to the directive, companies, which haven't had any incident of EV fire, will also not be able to make new launches this year.

However, no written order has not been issued till now in this regard.