Nashik firm’s 20 electric scooters catch fire: ‘Biggest such incident’ yet

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“An unfortunate incident took place on 9th April near our factory gate in a scooter. The situation was immediately brought under control by timely intervention from our team. Safety being of prime importance, we are investigating the root cause and we will soon come out with findings,” a spokesperson for Jitendra EV said.

The Road Transport Ministry, it is learnt, has taken cognisance of the incident and is in the process of summoning representatives of the company to present a report on its findings about the incident.

According to data published by Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), Jitendra EV sold 3,788 two-wheeler units in 2021-22 (April-March), compared with 619 units sold in the year ago period. A total of 2.31 lakh electric two-wheelers were sold during 2021-22. This is at least the fifth such incident of electric scooters abruptly erupting into flames in the last few weeks. Last month, an Ola S1 pro electric scooter caught fire in Pune while parked on the roadside of a busy commercial area. In a more tragic event, an EV made by Okinawa erupted into flames claiming the lives of a man and his 13-year-old daughter.

Prompted by these, the Road Transport Ministry had ordered a probe into the incidents and roped in the Centre for Fire Explosive and Environment Safety, a unit of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, to constitute and independent team and carry out an investigation into the incidents. While conclusive reasons behind these incidents are yet to be clear, experts have said rising temperatures and manufacturing defects could be possible causes behind the fires.