The preliminary findings from the India government-constituted probe committee on electric vehicle (EV) fires have found issues with battery cells/design in nearly all of the electric two-wheeler (2W) fire incidents in the country, IANS reported.
The committee was constituted last month in the wake of EV fires and battery blasts in e-scooters belonging to Okinawa Autotech, Boom Motor, Pure EV, Jitendra EV, and Ola Electric.
The experts have found defects in battery cells as well as battery design in nearly all EV fires, including the deadly battery explosion in Telangana.
Experts would now work individually with the EV manufacturers to resolve respective battery issues in their vehicles.
Ola Electric said in a statement to IANS that they have commissioned world-class agencies, in addition to our own investigation, to perform an internal assessment on the root cause.
“As per the preliminary assessment of these experts, it was likely an isolated thermal incident,” Ola said.
Ola Electric has voluntarily recalled 1,441 vehicles to conduct pre-emptive diagnostics and health checks on scooters in that specific batch.
“Our battery pack already complies and is tested for AIS 156, the latest proposed standard for India, in addition to being compliant with the European standard ECE 136,” Ola said.
Okinawa Autotech declined to comment on the development.
The Delhi High Court this week issued notice to the Centre and the Delhi government on a plea seeking directions for mandatory insurance for electric two-wheelers.
Apart from insurance coverage, the plea also sought to ensure reliable and long-lasting batteries in the vehicle by the manufacturers in a way to avoid overheating and fire accidents.
Earlier, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the government will issue quality-centric guidelines for electric vehicles.
To date, three Pure EV, one Ola, three Okinawa and 20 Jitendra EV scooters have caught fire in the country, raising burning questions about their safety.
Several EV makers have recalled the faulty batches amid the heat.