Hero Electric Says Short Circuit Of Power Socket Caused EV Fire

Hero Electric, India's largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer is also in the news now for an incident of fire on one of its electric scooters, the Hero Photon. The incident was reported on May 25, 2022 from Odisha and the cause of the fire is believed to be a short circuit at the power socket from where the electric scooter was being charged overnight. Hero Electric has issued a statement saying that the incident of fire in the Hero Photon electric scooter is not due to an internal issue but a fault with the electric power socket from where it was being charged.

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Several incidents of fire involving electric scooters have been reported over the past month or so. In one incident, 20 electric scooters of Jitendra EV caught fire while the scooters were being transported.

Over the past month or so, at least two dozen instances of fire in electric scooters have been reported in India, affecting electric scooters from brands like Ola Electric, Okinawa, Jitendra EV Tech and Pure EV. Hero Electric has over 4.5 lakh electric scooters on the road in India, and this is the first time an incident of fire has been reported in one of its scooters. When contacted, Hero Electric said there's a difference in the latest incident involving the Hero Photon electric scooter and other recent instances, since this was caused by a short circuit in the power charging source.

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Hero Electric is India's largest electric two-wheeler brand. The company has been operating for the last 14 years.

"When contacted, the customer explained that he heard abnormal cracking sounds and discovered that fumes were coming from the electric switchboard of the home, adjacent to the e-scooter and sparks were continuously falling on to the floor and a can of paint lying nearby. By the time he went on to switch off the mains and get back to try and put off the fire, it spread and burnt the rear part of the scooter and some household belongings," according to a statement from Hero Electric.

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"Our technical team later visited the spot and analysed that the rear part of the scooter was burnt and the most probable cause of fire was the AC phase and earth wires of home coming in contact with each other (causing a) short circuit and the malfunctioning of the fuses that should have cut off in the event of such a short circuit," it added. "We have also offered any help to the customer in replacing the burnt parts on cost basis and thoroughly testing his refurbished scooter for road worthiness."

Also Read: 20 Electric Scooters From Jitendra EV Catch Fire While Being Transported

Hero Electric currently has over 36 per cent market share.

Hero Electric is India's leading electric two-wheeler manufacturer, with a manufacturing unit in Ludhiana. The company sells a wide range of electric scooters catering to a wide spectrum of customers. Hero Electric currently has more than 750 sales and service outlets across the country along with a widespread charging network and trained roadside EV mechanics. The company has been operating for the last 14 years.