New Delhi: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday again warned EV manufacturers to recall all defective two-wheelers. He said that some EV batteries explode due to overheating. Addressing the Raisina Dialogue here, he said the domestic EV industry has “just started” but “safety is the top priority for the government and human life cannot be compromised”.
“The temperature rises in the months of March-April-May and there may be some problem with EV batteries. I think it is a problem of (high) temperature,” Gadkari told the audience.
He emphasized that the government wants to make EVs more popular among the masses.
“We don’t want to create any hurdles but safety is the first and foremost priority,” he said.
Gadkari had last week warned EV makers that if a company was negligent, “heavy fines will be imposed and all defective vehicles will be ordered to be recalled”.
“We have constituted an expert committee to look into these incidents and make recommendations on remedial steps. Based on the reports, we will issue necessary orders on the defaulting companies,” he said.
“We will soon issue quality centric guidelines for electric vehicles,” Gadkari said.
His remarks come at a time when the country is reeling from electric vehicle fires and deadly battery explosions.
In yet another tragic incident involving an electric two-wheeler, a 40-year-old man in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada died after an e-scooter from Boom Motors exploded while it was charging at home.
In this incident Kotakonda Shiv Kumar’s wife and two daughters were also seriously burnt.
So far, three EVs, one Ola, two Okinawa and 20 Jitendra EV scooters have caught fire in the country, raising questions about their safety.
The fatal fire in electric two-wheelers has rocked the entire EV industry and its stakeholders, forcing the government to direct EV manufacturers to immediately recall defective vehicles.
first published:April 26, 2022, 6:22 p.m.
