EV Fire: Consumer organization Pure EV sends notice to Boom Motors

The electric two-wheeler industry, once considered a low-hanging fruit, is now under pressure to drive acceptance for the electric vehicle segment. The growing number of fires in electric two-wheelers has attracted the attention of various authorities and has become a matter of concern. Coming into action, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), an agency under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, has sent notices to two companies – Hyderabad-based Pure EV and Coimbatore-based Boom Motors – for the recent explosion on their scooters.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said the government would intervene if the situation did not improve. Lately, EV manufacturers such as Pure EV, Boom Motors, Ola Electric, Jitendra EV, and Okinawa Autotech have been bringing back defective batches since they reported the incident.

According to the report, preliminary investigations by the dedicated committee suggested battery cell problems or errors as the main cause of such incidents across the country. Experts believe that even the design of electric vehicles is a matter that needs attention.

The government, therefore, is now working hard on new value-oriented guidelines for electric vehicles and will be promoting them soon.

Recent EV fires include a Benling India e-scooter, which exploded while on duty in Telangana. However, no casualties were reported from the local police. Another explosion in late April in Telangana’s Nizamabad district was a pure EV two-wheeler that killed an 80-year-old man and injured two others. Another incident occurred after a 40-year-old man was killed in an explosion while charging a Boom Motors scooter.

In terms of numbers, at least 12 electric two-wheelers have exploded in just a few months. Under pressure from the government and the need of the hour, EV makers are now on the front foot, remembering the lots and dealing with the situation, the best possible way.