Nearly 6700 electric scooters have been recalled by EV manufacturers of India for health-checkups post the notification released by Transport Ministry for heavy penalties for negligent companies.
Highlights:
- The EV maker Ola, Pure EV, and Okinawa have recalled their electric scooters after notification from the Transport ministry.
- The GOI is likely to issue the guidelines for the process of checking the quality of Electric Vehicles in near future.
Amidst the recent EV fire incidents in India, the recent loss of life in Telangana has created a sensation in the EV industry and the Transport ministry. A total of 7 EV fire incidents took place so far in India have raised safety concerns about EVs.
Following the instruction given by the Ministery of Road Transport & Highways, the EV maker Ola, Pure EV and Okinawa have recalled their electric scooters from a particular manufacturing batch, for the repairing batteries, and quality checks.
Amidst the fire incident taking place all around India, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari stated that the GOI has set up a committee of experts, to take necessary steps and to investigate the fire incident, the committee will soon release the guidelines for the process of checking the quality of Electric Vehicles.
A heavy penalty is likely to be charged if any EV maker fails to follow the guidelines and the process of quality check laid down by the Transport Ministry.
Firstly, Pure EV has voluntarily recalled 2000 units of its EVs, Subsequently, a big name in the EV scooter market, Ola electric has recalled 1,441 units of Ola S1 Pro and Ola S1 electric scooters, followed by Okinawa, as they recalled their 3,215 electric scooters.
Additionally, the companies that have recalled the EVs, will check if there is any battery imbalance or damage, thermal and safety system, and will conduct a quality health check of those EVs.
Clearly, these companies have started to recall the Electric Scooters, because the GOI has warned to penalize the company if they find any fault or quality lapse within the production of Electric vehicles.
This is a major step taken by Ministry and Manufacturers at a time when netizens have just started adopting the EV ecosystem in India, to use EVs as primary vehicles.
READ MORE:
Biggest EV Fire Incident in India so far, 20 electric scooters in flames: Nasik EV Truck Fire
Electric Scooter Fires in India: Causes, Solutions & precautions for EV Owners: Detailed report
Major Reasons for EV fires in India
Thermal Runway:
A thermal runaway is an exothermic reaction that occurs inside a lithium-ion battery caused due to massive heat which results in a chain of fire in the EV battery cells. Fires caused in Li-Ion batteries due to the thermal runway are difficult to extinguish, resulting in a fire in the entire vehicle.
Imported Batteries:
The lithium-ion batteries are currently imported by the Indian automakers from China and Korea which are not designed or tested for the Indian climatic conditions. The extreme heat of harsh Indian summers could shoot up the battery temperature to 90-100 degrees, resulting in an electric vehicle fire.
Poor BMS:
The imported lithium-ion battery comes with a poor battery management system(BMS), which is not suitable for the Indian weather, temperature, and road conditions, which can cause EV fire.
Considering the revolutionary stage of EVs in India, it is the responsibility of EV makers to deliver fully tested vehicles to customers. However, the committee of experts set up by the GOI is yet to issue the guidelines for the process of checking the quality of Electric Vehicles.