Seven electric bikes burned down in Pune on Monday night. The incident happened at an electric bike shop in Pune. Latest reports have suggested that the scooters were charging while the accident happened.
Fortunately, there were no casualties recorded during the incident. Preliminary investigation by the emergency response team hint that the fire may have been started due to overcharging of the EVs.
The electric bike shop was located near the Gangadham area of Market Yard. The fire brigade also used fire tenders to douse the fire. While there is no confirmation about the exact cause of the fire, a few reports claim that the fire happened while the electric bike were charging. The fire could’ve been the result of a short circuit.
Komaki joins the list of electric 2-wheeler makers that have reported fires. These accidents that peaked in the months of March and April, stirred the govt. The Govt released a strict-worded warning to new EV brands that face such issues. The Govt has also shared show cause notices to Ola Electric, Okinawa Autotech and PureEV.
He further explained, “Lastly after going through komaki service record the brand have proof that the vehicle being claimed as cause of fire was subject to removal of batteries and didn’t contain company connectors.”
In order to enhance battery safety the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has also come up with new performance standards for EVs. “Performance Standards for Electric Vehicle Batteries,” are the new guidelines which will make sure that EVs manage to avoid accidents. The new standards also involve test procedures for batteries that determine their basic characteristic of performance, reliability, and electrical functionality.
Having said that, it’s possible that the checks used in smaller, less expensive EVs are not infallible. Even after the battery of the EV has been fully charged, electrons will still continue to flow into the battery pack until the vehicle is plugged in. If this were the case, the battery would eventually overheat, get damaged, and possibly catch fire.
