The Center is “studying” the findings of a recent independent committee investigation into electric scooter fires.
“We are studying and analyzing the report. These fires were related to cells,” a senior official of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said on condition of anonymity, without sharing further details about the causes of the individual fires or the recommendations of the committee.
In March, the ministry appointed a panel of independent experts from the Defense Fire and Explosives Laboratory, New Delhi, the Naval Systems Development Laboratory in Visakhapatnam and the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. This was followed by several incidents of fires in electric scooters, including those in Okinawa, Pure EV, Jitendra EV and Ola Electric.
The senior official also said that the ministry has now constituted another committee to strengthen the safety standards for electric vehicles based on the investigation report submitted. The panel includes IIT-Madras, International Advanced Research Center for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, apart from three institutes investigating the scooter fire. They have been given six weeks to submit their recommendations.
AIS 156 Criteria
The current Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 048 for battery-powered vehicles stipulates various tests that need to be performed, including mechanical, vibration, overcharge, short-circuit and shock tests, etc. These will be replaced by AIS 156 norms that have been notified and will be effective from December 2022, which also require tests for over-temperature protection and gaseous emissions.
editorial | No short circuit: In case of fire in electric vehicles
Separately, the government is likely to frame guidelines for the safety of electric vehicles.