EV fire case: Govt to announce corrective measures soon, says Road Transport Secretary

As the issue of electric scooters going up in flames continues, the Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways Ministry Giridhar Aramane said that the government is investigating all such incidents and a corrective measure will be taken soon.

"We are investigating all the incidents [of electric scooters catching fire] and will take corrective measures in the coming days," he said.

"We are very serious about the lives of the consumers," Aramane added.

The ministry is conducting a detailed review of the entire EV ecosystem and has asked the investigating agencies to submit its report at the earliest, a source aware of the development said.  The Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru has also been roped in along with The Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety ( CFEES ) for a more comprehensive investigation.

Nearly half a dozen incidents of electric scooters catching fire have been reported in the last twenty days, with the latest being reported in an Okinawa scooter in Tirupur, Tamil Nadu. On April 9, as many as 20 vehicles of Jitendra New EV Tech loaded in a container in Nashik, Maharashtra, caught fire. Other EV makers whose vehicles have been involved in such accidents include Ola Electric and Pure EV.

The sale of electric vehicles in India had witnessed a three-fold jump last fiscal with two-wheelers leading the segment. In the financial year 2021-22, 429,417 electric vehicles were sold, as compared to 134,821 units in 2020-21.

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