An investigation into the incident that started in a Secunderabad electric bike store has been ordered by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
“Two experts are to visit the electric-bike showroom in Secunderabad after the police submit preliminary findings,” a ministry official said. The government is pushing electric vehicles hard, thus the fire in the e-bikes raised some questions.
Eight guests at a hotel in Secunderabad, including a woman, perished in a nighttime fire that started in the electric bike dealership below the building. The road transport ministry added extra safety safeguards to the battery safety regulations, which will take effect on October 1 in response to the recent spate of fire incidents involving electric vehicles. The battery cells, on-board charger, battery pack design, and heat propagation owing to internal cell short circuit resulting in fire would all be subject to additional safety regulations.
There have been reports of electric two-wheelers from PureEV, Ola Electric, and Okinawa Autotech catching fire in April 2022. As a result, the government set up a commission to review the current battery safety criteria announced under commercial motor vehicle regulations and suggest any extra safety measures.
