Electric scooter fires are becoming more common, and some manufacturers are recalling scooters to do health and battery checks. In this light, Ola Electric has issued a recall notice for 1,441 Ola S1 Pro electric scooters, weeks after one caught fire in Pune. This happened after the government began an investigation into the situation, and Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, called for mandatory recalls and stiff penalties for firms responsible for scooter fires.
Also Read: Tough Penalties For Negligence - Nitin Gadkari Warns EV Makers!
Ola Electric's service engineers will inspect a specific batch of Ola S1 Pro scooters for battery and other concerns as part of the recall. The heating and safety systems of the e-scooters will also be evaluated by the engineers. It's the third manufacturer recall; Okinawa and Pure EV earlier recalled a batch of e-scooters for diagnostics and battery inspections.
Ola S1 Pro that caught fire in Pune was a one-off event, according to the Bengaluru-based e-scooter maker, and the scooter conforms with all safety rules. The battery pack also meets AIS 156 and ECE 136 requirements, according to the company.
The company stated in a statement, Our internal investigation into the March 26 vehicle fire incident in Pune is ongoing and the preliminary assessment reveals that the thermal incident was likely an isolated one. It went on to say As a pre-emptive measure, we will be conducting a detailed diagnostics and health check of the scooters in that specific batch and therefore are issuing a voluntary recall of 1,441 vehicles.
Also Read: Ola S1 Price To Be More Affordable - Launch This Year!
After multiple EV fire incidents, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari tweeted, Several mishaps involving Electric Two Wheelers have come to light in the last two months. It is most unfortunate that some people have lost their lives and several have been injured in these incidents." He further added, "We have constituted an Expert Committee to enquire into these incidents and make recommendations on remedial steps. Meanwhile companies may take advance action to Recall all defective batches of vehicles immediately. Under the leadership of PM Shri@narendramodi ji, our government is committed to ensure safety of each and every commuter.
Few days back, another Pure EV scooter burst into flames in Telangana, killing an 80-year-old man and injuring four more family members.
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