EV fires: Govt sets up panel to suggest certification, testing SOPs for batteries

Amid increasing instances of fires in electric vehicles (EVs) being reported from parts of the country, the government has stepped in with a plan to formulate procedures on battery certification and quality control. The move is a bid to deter such incidents from reoccurring, which could put off potential EV buyers. The Centre has formed a panel of experts that has representations from the Visakhapatnam-based Naval Science & Technological Laboratory; the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras; the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; and an expert of advanced chemistry.

“The committee will suggest ways to ensure the right quality of the product. They have to come up with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)