Electric scooters catching fire has become a serious problem for India’s electric vehicle industry. The e-scooters catching fire in India has prompted the government to order a probe. Electric vehicles are powered by lithium-ion batteries, of the kind used in cellphones and smartwatches, which are generally considered to be efficient and light compared to their counterparts. Incidents have been reported across India, including those of Ola, Okinawa, and Jitendra EV scooters. It is unfortunate that some people have lost their lives and several have been injured in these incidents. But there’s no clear reason why these scooters are catching fire. Both the Centre and State governments have been advocating switching to electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions, thereby delaying climate change. Such incidents highlight the need for extensive testing under stringent conditions, along with questions about battery chemistries, cell constructions, battery management systems, thermal management systems as well as battery pack designs to avoid thermal runaways.
