The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), which comes under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, on Tuesday said the regulator has issued notices to four to five EV two-wheeler makers in the light of several complaints raised by the consumers over battery explosions and fire incidents.
CCPA Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare said that the regulator would soon begin the hearing on this subject once the responses from the EV manufacturers are in.
The CCPA has received several complaints from the EV two-wheeler buyers.
Khare said that the regulator has also asked the EV makers concerned to detail the reasons behind the fire episodes and why CCPA should not take an action against them.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has also been informed, she added.
A DRDO probe had revealed defects in battery cells as well as battery design in nearly all EV fires that occurred because the electric 2W manufacturers like Okinawa Autotech, Pure EV, Jitendra Electric Vehicles, Ola Electric and Boom Motors may have used “lower-grade materials to cut costs”.
Last month, the CCPA sent notices to Pure EV and Boom Motors after their e-scooters exploded in April.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Parliament last week that all the EV two-wheelers companies have been served show-cause notices after their vehicles caught fire owing to battery issues.
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, he said the CEOs and Managing Directors of EV manufacturers have been issued show-cause notices.
Further action would be taken based on the responses received from the EV manufacturers, the minister said.
The ministry had constituted a committee of experts to suggest safety standards for batteries, battery components, and related systems.
The government-formed committee to formulate new guidelines for electric vehicles (EVs) is set to submit its report soon.
The preliminary findings from another government-constituted probe committee on EV fires also identified issues with battery cells or design in nearly all of the electric two-wheeler fire incidents in the country.
The experts found defects in battery cells as well as battery design in nearly all EV fires.
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