Why has Ola Electric recalled over 1,400 scooters?

New Delhi, Apr 24: Ola Electric is recalling 1,441 units of its electric two-wheelers in the view of recent incidents of two-wheelers catching fire, claiming at least four lives to date.

The company said its investigation into the fire incident on March 26, in Pune, is ongoing and preliminary assessment found that it was an isolated one.

Why has Ola Electric recalled over 1,400 scooters?

"As a pre-emptive measure we will be conducting a detailed diagnostic and health check of the scooters in that specific batch and therefore are issuing a voluntary recall of 1,441 vehicles," Ola said in s statement.

"These scooters will be inspected by our service engineers and will go through a thorough diagnostics across all battery systems, thermal systems as well as the safety systems." Ola Electric said its battery systems already complies with and is tested for AIS 156, the latest proposed standard for India, in addition to being compliant with the European standard ECE 136," it said.

How many instances of EV's catching fire have been reported?

In the last few days, there have been widespread incidents of electric two-wheelers catching fire in various parts of the country forcing manufacturers to recall their vehicles.

Okinawa Autotech had recalled over 3,000 units, while Pure EV did a similar exercise for around 2,000 units.

The fire incidents had prompted the government to form a panel to examine and had warned companies of penalties if they were found to be negligent.

Have other EV makers issued a recall?

The other companies are currently investigating the reasons behind the possible causes of the fire. Pure EV has initiated a recall of 2,000 of its electric scooters, while Okinawa has announced recalling more than 3,000 over potential safety issues.

Government's response

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that action will be taken against those companies found guilty of negligence. He also said that a recall of all defective vehicles will be ordered after receiving the report of an expert panel that has been formed to inquire into the matter.

In a series of tweets, Gadkari said several mishaps involving electric two-wheelers have come to light in the last two months. "We have constituted an expert committee to enquire into these incidents and make recommendations on remedial steps. Based on the reports, we will issue necessary orders on the defaulting companies," the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister said.

According to Gadkari, the government will soon issue "quality-centric guidelines" for electric vehicles. He said, "If any company is found negligent in their processes, a heavy penalty will be imposed and a recall of all defective vehicles will also be ordered." Meanwhile, companies may take advance action to recall all defective batches of vehicles immediately, Gadkari tweeted. "Under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji, our government is committed to ensure safety of each and every commuter," he tweeted.

Tips to keep EV battery safe

Temperature check: Guard your vehicle and batteries against extreme temperatures.

Park your electric vehicle in the shade

Use original charger: Use original charger that is compatible with the battery.

Check vehicle batteries: Battery levels may drain off if the electric vehicle is not used for a long time. Keep

Keep battery between 20-80%: Keep your battery's state of charge between 20% and 80% whenever possible. Do not charge the battery to full.

Avoid fast charging: If your batteries are to die out soon, fast-charging is a great convenience.

Battery management: Do not charge the batteries within 1 hours after use. Let it cool down for some time.