The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), previously tasked by the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry to investigate fire incidents involving electric two-wheelers, would also lead the investigation into Nexon EV fire.
The DRDO probe had found serious defects in the batteries. These defects occurred because electric two-wheeler manufacturers such as Okinawa Autotech, Pure EV, Jitendra Electric Vehicles, Ola Electric and Boom Motors may have “used inferior materials to cut costs”.
A
The electric car fire incident was reported late Wednesday from Vasai West (near Panchvati hotel) in Mumbai.
“We will provide a detailed response after our full investigation. We remain committed to the safety of our vehicles and their users,” the company said in a statement.
Tata Nexon EV is the best-selling electric car in India and at least 2,500-3,000 cars are sold in the country every month.
The company has sold more than 30,000 EVs to date, most of which are Nexon models.
“This is the first incident after more than 30,000 EVs have combined more than 100 million km across the country in nearly four years,” the company said.
As fires and explosions in electric two-wheelers continue unabated, the government is poised to introduce EV battery standards (BIS standards) for EV two-wheelers that will be extended to four-wheelers at a later stage.
The BIS standards for EV batteries will look at “size, connectors, specification and minimum quality of cells, capacity of the battery”.
Previously, in a discussion paper, NITI Aayog also emphasized the need for BIS standards as the first step towards a national policy on battery replacement.
ALSO SEE:
HP launches four new gaming laptops starting at ₹67,999 in India
Cryptocurrencies Show Signs of Life After Massacre, But Future Remains Uncertain