Govt-appointed experts to probe e-scooter fire incidents in Vellore, Pune

Even as the Centre has decided to depute a team of independent experts to investigate incidents of Ola and Okinawa electric scooters catching fire, Okinawa Autotech has blamed the incident that claimed two lives on a faulty charging point resulting in a short circuit induced fire.

 “Centre has taken note of the incidents involving fires in electric vehicles; will probe them… Deputing independent experts to investigate cases of EVs catching fire,” CNBC TV reported .

In a  statement on Monday, Okinawa said, “In this particular case has further brought to light how important it is for users to understand the correct usage and charging guidelines for EVs.”

Okinawa claimed that as a responsible brand, time and again, it has been coming forward and taking a lot of initiatives to create awareness and educate its customers on the proper usage of electric two-wheelers and about the possible hazards that they could experience in case of any negligence in taking proper care of the battery of the vehicle.

“Our customers' safety is extremely important to us, and we adhere to the highest quality standards in our electric scooters,” it said in the statement.The experts will travel to Vellore and Pune to probe whether structural factors or external factors are causing the fires in the Ola electric scooters and the Okinawa electric bikes, 

To be sure, both Ola and Okinawa scooters had been tested and got certified before they were launched. The investigators will try to find out if there is a manufacturing defect that affected their operation.