EV scooters catch fire: Nitin Gadkari warns of penalties, says guidelines coming

Taking cognisance of repeated incidents of electric two-wheelers catching fire, union transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the government will announce ‘quality-centric’ guidelines for manufacturers of electric vehicles (EVs) while also warning them of heavy penalties in case of negligence.

Gadkari said the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) had constituted an expert committee to examine EV manufacturing issues, especially those related to two-wheelers, and make recommendations to be added to the upcoming guidelines.

The minister also advised EV companies to act responsibly by identifying and recalling defective batches without waiting for orders or the guidelines from the ministry.