The scooter in question was made by Pure EV. The Hyderabad-based EV company is under a lot of scrutiny since this is certainly not the first time an electric scooter from the company has caught fire. Pure EV has now decided to voluntarily recall 2,000 vehicles belonging to models ETrance Plus and EPluto 7G in the wake of fire incidents. This is the second EV recall in the country, after Okinawa Autotech issued a recall of 3,215 units of its Price Pro electric scooter.
The recent incidents highlight the need for extensive testing under stringent conditions, along with questions around battery chemistries, cell constructions, battery management systems, thermal management systems as well as battery pack designs to avoid thermal runaways. Amid recurring incidents electric two-wheelers catching fire across the nation, Nitin GadkariMinister of Road Transport & Highways, posted a series of tweets, confirming that the government will list out strict rules for EV quality.
Several mishaps involving Electric Two Wheelers have come to light in the last two months. It is most unfortunate that… https://t.co/xqoAX8TqlW
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) 1650544694000
“We have constituted an Expert Committee to enquire into these incidents and make recommendations on remedial steps. Based on the reports, we will issue necessary orders on the defaulting companies. We will soon issue quality-centric guidelines for Electric Vehicles, If any company is found negligent in their processes, a heavy penalty will be imposed and a recall of all defective vehicles will also be ordered,” he said.
Why do electric vehicle batteries catch fire and what is the solution?
Lithium Ion batteries used in almost all electric vehicles sold in India perform most optimally within a temperature range of up to ~38 °C ± 5 °C. However, our summer temperatures could go up to 50°C especially during direct exposure to the sun in summers, which can result in thermal runaways and even fires. The Indian climate and road conditions are harsh and contribute to the faster degradation of batteries if not properly addressed.
It is important that these factors are well considered during Battery Management System hardware design, mechanical design, cooling strategies, smarter system performance deration algorithm during charging or discharging at lower State of Charge and extreme temperatures and a thorough product validation plan.
A host of EV makers in the Indian market depend on Chinese imports for batteries and other powertrain components. These sub-standard batteries are mostly not ready for the high-temperatures in India, hence, need to be modified for our country, and also thoroughly tested before commercial production begins. While the government has notified the standards for EV batteries, there is no mechanism in place to ensure that OEMs are ensuring the quality control of their respective batteries.