A safe ecosystem for electric vehicles

On Saturday, a 40-year-old man died in Andhra Pradesh, after his new electric bike’s battery exploded while charging. In the last few weeks, there has been a string of incidents of battery explosions, putting the sector, especially the growing electric scooter segment, under the scanner and forcing at least three leading electric vehicle (EV) startups to recall batches of their products. Recently, Union minister Nitin Gadkari tweeted that the government will crack down on any company found negligent in selling faulty EVs. An expert panel has also been set up to look into these incidents, develop standard operating procedures, formulate safety guidelines, and possibly come up with regulations on batteries, battery management systems (BMS), and cells used in electric two-wheelers.

While most companies involved are yet to clarify what caused the accidents, the government’s step is crucial because these mishaps could force a shift in consumer sentiment away from the growing electric scooters and motorcycles segment, and dent the image of the manufacturing startups, and the larger EV sector. Experts say the fires could be due to one or several factors, but that the key is BMS. The most critical variables are the quality of the battery cells, their packaging, thermal management through BMS, and the tech used in rapid charging. In addition, many startups may well be cutting corners.

The transport sector, the world over, is one of the worst polluters. Decarbonising it is critical to meet climate goals. However, these incidents are a setback. The government and industry must find a way to ensure a safe ecosystem that can produce good quality and safe EVs.