new Delhi: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) has ordered an inquiry into four incidents of fire in two-wheeler electric vehicles (EVs), Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
He also expressed that as of March 25, 10,76,420 electric vehicles were enrolled in the country and 1,742 Public Charging Stations (PCS) were functional.
“There have been a total of four incidents of fire in two-wheelers in the last one week and it is a very serious issue. We have ordered forensic investigation of each individual incident from experts from Center for Fire Explosives, DRDO and IISc, Bengaluru. ,” he said during Question Hour.
The minister said India’s guidelines for supporting electric vehicles and batteries are in line with global standards and the government will take appropriate steps after ascertaining the exact technical cause of the accidents.
“We are waiting for the report of the expert committee. After getting the report, we will find out what is the reason behind it. Based on that report, we will take appropriate action against the manufacturer.
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However, he said, he realized that the obvious reason behind these events was high temperatures.
“We are still waiting for the report of the expert committee. After getting the report of the expert committee, we will take appropriate action. We will also take adequate measures for the safety of the people,” he said.
Replying to another supplement, the Minister said that the Government is fully committed to the Paris Agreement on Environment and Ecology and the Protection of the Environment.
He said that the government has proposed to provide 650 roadside facilities on national highways, out of which work has started on 40.
According to automobile experts, the main cause of fire in electric vehicles is lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries have an increased risk of fire if they are improperly manufactured or damaged. There is a risk of fire even if the battery operating software is not designed correctly.
(with PTI inputs)