There have been several incidents of e-scooters catching or being involved in fire in recent weeks, raising safety concerns among some buyers.
India plans to impose heavy fines and withdraw mandates if electric vehicle (EV) companies find negligence as part of new “quality-focused” regulations, the country’s transport minister said after a fire linked to e-scooters. making.
Meanwhile, companies can take advance action to immediately recall all defective batches of vehicles, Nitin Gadkari said on Twitter on Thursday, adding that the safety of every passenger is a priority for the government.
Gadkari said, “Several accidents involving electric two-wheelers have come to the fore in the last two months. If a company is negligent in its procedures, heavy fines will be imposed and all defective vehicles will also be ordered to be recalled.”
Read also: Pure EV recalls 2,000 electric scooters after battery explosion in Telangana claims one life
In recent weeks, there have been nearly a dozen cases of e-scooters caught or involved in fire, including one made by SoftBank Group-backed Ola Electric, raising safety concerns among some buyers.
Scooters belonging to Indian start-ups Okinawa and PureEV have also been involved in fire incidents, with some saying it could be an early blow to a nascent sector that is key to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s carbon reduction and climate goals.
Read also: 20 electric scooters of Jitendra EV caught fire during transport
India wants electric scooters and motorbikes to make up 80% of total two-wheeler sales by 2030, compared to around 2% today, and Modi’s administration is offering companies billions of dollars in incentives to make EVs locally.
The government has already started an inquiry into the fire and Gadkari said a committee of experts has been formed to make recommendations on remedial steps.
“Based on the reports, we will issue necessary orders on the defaulting companies,” he said.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah; Editing by Tomas Janowski)
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