Nitin Gadkari investigates Ola electric scooter amid rising incidents of EV fire

The summer heat waves of 2022 have brought several incidents of electric two-wheelers catching on fire. Companies like Ola, Okinawa, Pure EV, Jitendra Electric Vehicles and many other e-scooter companies have experienced EV fire incidents like never before. Hence, Union Minister for Roads, Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari checks out the Ola electric scooter himself while meeting Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO, Ola.

The meeting comes days after the Center ordered a probe last month when an e-scooter launched by Ola, the ride-hailing operator’s electric mobility arm, caught fire in Pune. According to the road transport ministry, the Center for Fire Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) has been asked to investigate the circumstances that led to the incident and suggest remedial measures.

The ministry had also asked the CFEES to share the findings along with their suggestions on measures to prevent such incidents. The incident came to light after a video of an e-scooter engulfed in fire was widely circulated on social media, with users questioning the safety standards of the vehicle.

So far, experts have been attributing such tragic events to thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries. A thermal runaway not only causes fire in electric vehicles, but it is equally difficult to extinguish.

Also read: Honda to invest $40 billion for electrification, plans 30 EVs by 2030

Electric vehicles have been present in India for a long time. Earlier, the country has seen some strong 4-wheeler, 3-wheeler and 2-wheeler products in the market, which have led to the revolution and acceptance of the EV concept across all segments of the community. Following the lead and benchmark set by other countries and developed EV markets of the world, India has been at the center of a new era in mobility.

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