Indian government calls for immediate recall of defective EVs
In light of recent mishaps involving electric two-wheelers, the government has asked EV manufacturers to voluntarily recall defective vehicles. Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, in a series of tweets, said that the government has constituted an expert committee to enquire into these incidents. Automakers such as Okinawa and Pure EV have already recalled their scooter after fire incidents.
Why does this story matter?
Recent incidents of EV fires have brought the spotlight on the government as it has been highly supportive of Electric Vehicles. The public has become increasingly restless due to the lack of guidelines and quality control. This has sprung the government to act and the tweets by the minister are aimed at calming the storm before it hits its peak.
Government will impose a heavy penalty on defaulting companies: Gadkari
The expert committee appointed by the government will also recommend remedial steps. "Based on the reports, we will issue necessary orders on the defaulting companies. We will soon issue quality-centric guidelines for Electric Vehicles," said Gadkari. The government plans to impose hefty penalties on companies that are found in default. Along with that, an order to recall all defective vehicles will be issued.
Take a look at Gadkari's posts
Okinawa and Pure EV has already recalled scooters
Last week, Okinawa Autotech recalled 3,215 units of Praise Pro scooters to inspect the batteries for all kinds of damage. After the incident in Telangana, Pure EV followed suit by recalling 2,000 scooters.
EV fires have led to loss of life and injury
In the past few weeks, there have been several instances of EVs catching fire. Most recently, a Pure EV scooter's battery explosion led to the death of one and the injury of four in Telangana. Similarly, a father and daughter were suffocated to death due to an EV fire in Tamil Nadu. Incidents involving Ola, Okinawa, and Jitendra EV have also come to light.
