Govt Orders Probe Into Electric Scooter Fires

The Government of India has ordered an inquiry into the increasing number of incidents of fire in electric two-wheelers, including scooters produced by Ola Electric and Okinawa. According to reports, the government has asked an independent expert to check into the actual reasons and circumstances of the incidents of fire in electric scooters. According to a senior official from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the recent incidents of Ola Electric and Okinawa electric scooters catching fire will be investigated.

Also Read: Ola S1 Pro Electric Scooter Catches Fire In Pune

On March 26, 2022, an Ola S1 Pro electric scooter spontaneously burst into flames in Pune.

Also Read: Ola Electric Announces Investigation Into Scooter Fire Incident

On March 26, 2022, an Ola S1 Pro electric scooter caught fire in Pune, with videos of the incidents going viral on social media. Ola Electric responded to the incident with a statement saying that the company is "aware of the incident" and will be launching its own inquiry. "We are aware of the incident in Pune that happened with one of our scooters and are investigating to understand the root cause and will share more updates in the next few days. We're in constant touch with the customer who is absolutely safe. Vehicle safety is of paramount importance at Ola and we are committed to the highest quality standards in our products. We take this incident seriously and will take appropriate action and share more in the coming days."

Smoke started emanating from the Ola S1 Pro electric scooter before it caught fire

The same day, another electric scooter, from Okinawa Electric, caught fire in Vellore, leading to the deaths of a man and his 13-year-old daughter. According to initial reports, which quoted local police, the user plugged the charger of the electric scooter into an old socket, which could be of less voltage capacity to charge an e-bike and led to a short circuit. While Okinawa Electric has also stated that "a short circuit due to negligence in charging the vehicle" led to the incident, adding that it is important for users to understand the correct usage and charging guidelines for EVs. This was in fact, the second incident of fire involving an electric scooter from Okinawa in the past six months.

Incidents of fire hazards in electric scooters have gone up over the past six months, with some reports indicating that at least half a dozen such cases, from across different brands such as Pure EV, Okinawa, HCD India, Super Eco and Ola Electric have been reported. Carandbike has reached out to Ola Electric for a response to the government ordering an inquiry into incidents of fire in electric scooters, but so far, there has been no response from the Bengaluru-based EV manufacturer. Ola Electric has also not reported any more details of its own internal investigation into the incident in Pune.