According to a report by CNBC-TV18, the Centre decided on April 7 to summon Ola Electric and Okinawa Scooters for an explanation about recent fires in their electric two-wheelers. Customers were concerned when an Ola electric scooter and an Okinawa electric bike caught fire.
The channel quoted government sources as saying, “Government to call Ola and Okinawa for an explanation on recent fires in their scooters.” Both companies’ technical teams will be summoned after an independent expert probe is completed. “After the report’s outcome, the government will decide on EVS testing standards,” CNBC reported.
The report further stated that the government is investigating whether there were quality control issues in manufacturing, customer driving styles, and how the scooters were maintained, as well as whether the ARAI and ICAT testing protocols need to be revised.
A new Ola S1 Pro electric scooter caught fire on the side of the road in Pune in the first incident. The video, which showed smoke coming from the battery compartment, quickly went viral. A parent and daughter were killed in the second incident when an unknown model Okinawa electric vehicle struck them.
Following two recent incidents in which two scooters from well-known EV brands burst into flames, the topic of EV safety has gotten a lot of attention. According to a Reuters report, lithium-ion batteries (used in Ola scooters) can catch fire if they are improperly manufactured or damaged, or if the software that controls the battery is not designed correctly.