E-scooter Fires In India Trigger Safety Concerns

A spate of electric scooters catching fire in India, including one made by SoftBank-backed Ola Electric, is sparking safety concerns among some buyers, in an early setback for a nascent sector Prime Minister Narendra Modi is bullish about.

India wants electric scooters and motorbikes to make up 80% of total two-wheeler sales by 2030, from about 2% today, and Modi's administration is offering companies billions of dollars in incentives to locally manufacture electric vehicles (EVs.)

Sales of electric scooters more than doubled this year, but at least for some prospective buyers, the fires are cause to think twice.

On Saturday, a video of an Ola e-scooter engulfed in flames went viral online, triggering a rare government probe. A scooter from startup Pure EV also caught ablaze and a burning Okinawa Autotech Pvt bike killed two people. The companies say they are investigating the incidents.

Three potential buyers told Reuters they were deferring purchase plans, and dozens posted concerns on social media this week with several saying they were reconsidering whether it was the right time to go electric.

"I had done a lot of research but I am now reconsidering the decision. I will buy a regular motorcycle," said Praharsh Mahadevia, 28, an engineer from the western city of Ahmedabad.

Nayeem Quadri, an Indian journalist, is also having "second thoughts due to these repeated instances of fires," he said.

The electric mobility push is critical for Modi's climate change and carbon reduction goals.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)