CCPA issues notice to Pure EV, Boom Motors over electric scooter fire incidents

Screen grab from a widely shared video of a PureEV scooter catching fire in Chennai in late March 2022. More such videos featuring electric scooters by different companies have emerged in the last few weeks. (Representative image/Credit: Twitter/@sumantbanerji)

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued notices to electric vehicle makers Pure EV and Boom Motors over the recent electric scooter fire incidents, CNBC TV18 reported, citing sources, on May 13.

CCPA, which comes under the aegis of Union Consumer Affairs Ministry, sent notices to the two EV manufacturers after taking cognisance of news reports related to loss of life and severe injury to customers due to their products catching fire, the persons privy to the development told the news channel.

Pure EV and Boom Motors, along with other electric two-wheeler companies including Ola Electric, Okinawa and Jitendra EV, have recalled several batches of their products after the fire incidents were reported.

Boom Motors recalled its electric two wheelers sold under the Corbett Bikes brand in the last week of April, after an explosion of one of its units in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada reportedly led to the death of a 40-year-old man.

Pure EV decided to recall around 2,000 of its scooters after an 80-year-old man in Telangana's Nizamabad died due to an alleged explosion of a battery of one of its scooter.

The sources who spoke to CNBC TV18 said the CCPA is examining more cases of scooter fires, and may issue similar notices to other EV makers as well.

The consumer protection body's action comes days after Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said electric two-wheeler companies who are found to be negligent will be "penalised".

"Several mishaps involving electric two wheelers have come to light in last two months. It is most unfortunate that some people have lost their lives and several have been injured in these incidents," the minister tweeted on April 21.

“We have constituted an expert committee to enquire into these incidents and make recommendations on remedial steps.”

"If any company is found negligent in their processes, a heavy penalty will be imposed and a recall of all defective vehicles will also be ordered”, Gadkari had said.