Centre will list rules on EV quality soon, says Gadkari
NEW DELHI: Taking cognisance of the repeated incidents of electric two-wheelers catching fire, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari Thursday announced that the government will soon come up with a set of “qualitycentric” guidelines for manufacturers of electric vehicles, while also warning them of heavy penalty in case there is any form of negligence.
The minister said that the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) has constituted an expert committee that will look into the manufacturing issues of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country, especially twowheelers, and recommend the necessary interventions which will be incorporated in the upcoming guidelines. Gadkari advised EV companies to act responsibly by identifying and recalling their defective batches, without waiting for orders or the upcoming guidelines.
In the last few weeks, over a dozen electric two-wheelers have caught fire including those manufactured by Ola Electric, Pure EV, Jitendra EV and Okinawa. The companies have launched respective investigations into the cases. So far, at least three people have died due to electric two-wheelers catching fire in separate incidents.
“Several mishaps involving electric two-wheelers have come to light in the last two months. It is most unfortunate that some people have lost their lives and several have been injured in these incidents. We have constituted an expert committee to enquire into these incidents and make recommendations on remedial steps. Based on the reports, we will issue necessary orders on the defaulting companies. We will soon issue qualitycentric guidelines for EVs,” Gadkari said in a series of tweets.
Further, the minister warned that if any company is found negligent in their processes, a heavy penalty will be imposed and a recall of all defective vehicles will also be ordered. “Meanwhile, firms may take advance action to recall all defective batches of vehicles immediately. Our government is committed to ensure safety of each and every commuter,” Gadkari said.
A senior ministry official said that the thermal efficiency of lithium-ion batteries will be tested thoroughly. Several officials at MoRTH acknowledged that the existing regulations are not enough to cover certain technicalities of electric vehicles in India as the current rules are mostly designed for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Having a set of qualitycheck regulations for manufacturing of EVs is necessary because India has set a target of 80% EV sales penetration for two-and three-wheelers, 70% for commercial vehicles, 40% for buses and 30% for private cars.
On Wednesday, an 80-yearold man died and four others sustained burn injuries after the battery of an e-scooter exploded while being charged at their home in Telangana’s Nizamabad district.