In a recent move, the government has sent notices to Ola Electric, Pure EV, and Okinawa, seeking answers as to why they should not be penalized for using faulty batteries that had led to EV fires in the past couple of months, Livemint reported citing sources.
The EV manufacturing companies have 30-days to respond until the end of July. The government had formed two committees following the EV fire incidents. The first committee was responsible to investigate the cause of EV fires, whereas the second committee was formed to suggest battery testing criteria and norms for the EV makers.
In its recent report, the first committee pointed out the cause of EV explosion to be the usage of faulty batteries. The report, which was also shared with the EV manufacturers said that the defects in the systems have caused the fires.
Meanwhile, the second committee is likely to submit the report next week, following which changes in the testing procedures. Notably, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has already issued performance standards for lithium-ion batteries.
Moreover, in April, the union minister Nitin Gadkari warned the EV makers of strict actions, if they are found negligent. “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,” he had tweeted.
Outlook Business had previously reported about the lack of battery testing norms leading to EV fires in India. Notably, following the EV fires, the manufacturers recalled thousands of electric vehicles. The country also witnessed its first four-wheeler EV fire incident recently after a Tata Nixon caught fire in Maharashtra.
