Govt agency to probe Tata Nexon e-vehicle fire

The government is set to order a probe into the reasons behind an electric four-wheeler catching fire in a Mumbai suburb on Wednesday.

Sources have told Business Today TV that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has taken note of the incident and is likely to task the Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) to probe the incident. This agency, which is part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), had earlier been tasked with probing the fires that had broken out in various electric scooters. A report on those incidents has already submitted to the ministry.

MoRTH officials have already held meetings with representatives of Ola Electric, Okinawa Autotech, Pure EV, Jitendra Electric Vehicles and Boom Motors on the findings and sought corrective steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
 
Meanwhile, Tata Motors has also begun its own probe into the incident. In a statement issued earlier today, the company said, "A detailed investigation is currently being conducted to ascertain the facts of the recent isolated thermal incident that is doing the rounds on social media. We will share a detailed response after our complete investigation. We remain committed to the safety of our vehicles and their users.  This is the first incident after more than 30,000 electric vehicles have cumulatively covered over 100-million kilometres across the country in nearly four years".

Tata Motors recently launched the Nexon EV Max in India which has a larger battery pack, with more power and torque and claims to deliver a range of 437-km on a single charge.

Also read: Tata Nexon EV’s customer unit bursts into flames; automaker says probe is on