Govt to revise EV battery management norms for two-wheelers

With recent instances of electric two-wheeler fires causing concern, the Centre is in the process of revising the norms for electric two-wheeler batteries.

“We will revise standards for cell, testing norms for batteries, and battery management. Initial reports suggest that the fires are a result of the cells in the batteries catching fire after they cross a certain temperature”, a senior government functionary Business Today TV on Tuesday. The new norms are likely to focus on ensuring higher production, cell and battery storage and recharging standards, among other safety features.

The government is not thinking of ordering a recall of electric two-wheelers at this moment, and would instead wait for reports from the fact-finding probes into recent fires being conducted by the Indian Institute of Science and a DRDO lab.

Earlier, speaking with Business Today TV, Giridhar Aramane, Secretary of Ministry of Road Transport & Highways had said that the government is committed to the safety of consumers and will take corrective measures in the next few days.

In a recent incident, an Okinawa Autotech e-scooter dealership was burnt down to ashes in Tamil Nadu. The electric two-wheeler manufacturer recalled 3,215 units of its 'Praise Pro' scooters on April 16, just days before the dealership got burnt.

Nearly half a dozen incidents of electric scooters catching fire have been reported in the last thirty days across India. 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, as many as 429,417 electric vehicles were sold, as compared to 134,821 units in 2020-21.