Gadkari warns EV makers of heavy penalty for negligence causing fires

New Delhi, April 21: Amid several incidents of fire involving electric two-wheelers, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday warned companies of heavy penalties for negligence on their part. “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 to the defaulting companies. We will soon issue quality-centric guidelines for electric vehicles,” Gadkari said. “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 said. Noting that several mishaps involving electric two-wheelers have come to light in the last two months, the Minister said that it is most unfortunate that some people have lost their lives and several have been injured in these incidents. He advised companies to take advance action to recall all defective batches of vehicles immediately. In the past few weeks, several incidents of two-wheelers catching fire have been reported from various parts of the country. Recently, around 20 scooters of Jitendra New EV Tech were damaged after reportedly catching fire while being transported in a container truck. Two-wheelers manufactured by other companies such as Ola Electric and Okinawa have also been reported to have caught fire. The series of incidents has raised concerns around the safety of battery-powered electric vehicles. (UNI)