ev fire: Centre plans to douse EV fires with battery policy

India could soon come out with standards for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, in light of the recent incidents of electric two-wheelers catching fire.

A senior official from the road transport and highways ministry told ET that the government is planning to come out with norms to put in place quality controls for batteries used in EVs.

The detailed policy will cover performance testing and manufacturing standards, along with heat resistance of these batteries.

“The fires are a matter of concern… We have informally started directing EV manufacturers to improve (on) their existing vehicles,” said the official, adding that work had begun on the proposed battery policy too.

The fires have primarily been due to use of imported batteries not manufactured according to the requirements of the country, according to the official.

Meanwhile, the government has tasked the Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES), a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, with investigating the fire incidents associated with Ola S1Pro, Okinawa Praise Pro and Pure electric scooters, apart from 26 models retailed by Jitendra New EV Tech.

The official said any decision on recall of these products will be taken after looking into the preliminary findings of CFEES. “For now, we want them (manufacturers) to voluntarily fix the shortcomings in their vehicles,” he added.