EV two-wheelers fire: Centre to seek explanation from Ola, Okinawa

Ola S1 Pro Scooter caught fire in Pune. (PC-Twitter videos)

The Centre, on April 7, decided to call Ola Electric and Okinawa Scooters for an explanation on recent fires in their electric two-wheelers, CNBC-TV18 reported, quoting sources. An Ola electric scooter and an Okinawa electric bike recently caught fire, leaving many customers concerned.

"Government to call Ola and Okinawa for an explanation on recent fires in their scooters," the channel said, quoting government sources.

According to government sources, technical teams of both companies are to be called after an independent expert probe is complete.

"Government to take a call on testing standards for EVS after the outcome of the report," the channel reported.

It is said by the sources that experts are analysing the batteries of the vehicles that caught fire.

Also Read | Is the scorching summer heat responsible for battery fires in electric scooters?

"Government is looking into whether there were quality control issues in manufacturing, the driving style of the customers, and how the scooters were maintained and whether the testing protocol for ARAI and ICAT need to be revised," according to government sources.

In the first incident, a new Ola S1 Pro electric scooter caught fire while parked on the side of the road in Pune. The video, which showed smoke emerging from the battery compartment, went viral on the internet.

In the second incident, a parent and daughter were killed when an unknown model Okinawa electric scooter caught fire in Tamil Nadu.

Also Read: Why do lithium-ion batteries catch fire?

In light of the recent incidents involving two scooters from prominent EV brands bursting into flames, the subject of EV safety has come under the spotlight.

According to a Reuters report, lithium-ion batteries (used in the Ola scooters), whether used in electric vehicles or electronic devices, can catch fire if they have been improperly manufactured or damaged, or if the software that operates the battery is not designed correctly.