In light of the recent EV fires in the country, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) held a virtual meeting with more than 30 EV manufacturers on 25th April 2022. The meeting comes following the Transport Minister cautioned manufacturers to recall defective EVs voluntarily. The warning comes after the country reported eight EV fire incidents over the last few weeks.
MoRTH Meeting with E2W Manufacturers
According to sources, the Joint Secretary of MoRTH gave the companies present an earful regarding the fire incidents. These incidents have led to multiple people getting injured and, in some cases, even losing their life. The Joint Secretary also said that there shouldn’t be such cases in the future, or the government will have to start imposing penalties.
The meeting with the MoRTH comes as a wake-up call to some of the manufacturers. These are the manufacturers that import low-quality cells and assemble them locally. Manufacturers will need to improve quality control and do extensive testing. If a manufacturer doesn’t, they will have to pay the price.
The sources also say that the Joint Secretary was irritated by the initial findings of the investigation committee. These findings showed that some manufacturers had only 10-15 staff members. In addition to this, these manufacturers did not have a proper R&D department but only one or two technical experts.
The Joint Secretary continued to express how the situation is worrisome and that the electric two-wheeler manufacturers need to get their act together. This is only possible through additional preventive measures, extensive testing, and better quality control.
No Ban on New Electric 2-Wheelers
Contrary to recent ongoing rumours, the Centre made it clear that they don’t plan to impose a ban on new electric two-wheeler launches. However, MoRTH is solemnly taking the issue of safety.
Also Read: Ola recalls 1,441 S1 Pro Electric scooters
