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

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.