TimesEV
TimesEV
TimesEV
TimesEV
TimesEV
TimesEV
More
    HomeOpinionTechnology ArticlesWhy have Electric Scooters been catching fire? How to keep your...

    Why have Electric Scooters been catching fire? How to keep your EV batteries safe?

    A look at what is fuelling the fire in e-scooters.

    E-mobility has been a burning topic for the last decade. The pressing need to combat the climate catastrophe has seen innovations heading towards the development of clean and green technology. Electric vehicles have taken over the global automotive sector and India, though not at par, is still catching up.

    Two-wheeled e-scooters have been the most successful fleet of EVs in India. E-scooters had registered a staggering 132% growth in 2021. 2022 should have been better, but the string of recent cases of them catching fire, have turned the buyers away. This has slowed down the position of India in the global EV race.

    The number of people who refused to buy e-scooters jumped eightfold to 17% in the last 6 months. People were already hesitant to make the switch due to the high upfront cost of EVs and the lack of charging infrastructure. These incidents have just added a big dent into the electric future of India.

    In the past months, social media has been flooded with videos of e-scooters on fire, which has attracted the flak of government and people alike. Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari taking cognizance of the alarming situation asked EV makers to take “advance action” to recall all defective batches of their vehicles immediately. He said that government will announce ‘quality-centric’ guidelines for manufacturers of electric vehicles and failure to abide by them would lead to heavy penalties.

    Following the government warning, Ola Electric has recalled more than 1400 scooters of a specific batch, whose one scooter burst into flames while being parked roadside. To follow a detailed diagnosis, all the scooters of that batch were recalled. Similar incidents have been reported by Okinawa e-scooter, which caught fire and took the life of a man and his 13-year-old daughter. More than 20 scooters by Jitendra EV caught fire while being transported from the factory in Nashik. Pure EV’s e-scooter took the life of an 80-year-old man because of a battery explosion. Pure EV had initiated a recall of 2,000 electric scooters while Okinawa has announced it recalled more than 3,000 EVs to check them for potential safety issues. Other similar incidents have been reported throughout the country.

    an Ola electric scooter in flames.

    The initial findings of the investigation have prompted the government to consider testing battery cells of e-scooters before they are allowed to launch. Faulty battery cells and modules have been identified as the leading cause of electric scooters catching fire in India. The problem is even when empty, cells contain a small amount of charge and together many cells that make up a battery, still hold a lot of energy. India currently tests the battery packs but not the cells which are mainly imported from South Korea or China.

    Full or empty, the risk of this energy escaping in an uncontrolled fashion is what leads to thermal runaway. When heat and gases fuel even higher temperatures and still more gases, including hydrogen and oxygen, in a self-fulfilling loop until the cells begin to burn and burst. A toxic vapor cloud develops, bringing with it the risk of deflagration. Once the thermal runaway has started, no battery management system or circuit breaker can stop it. While battery packs catch fire through overheating or while being charged, they can in rare instances spontaneously combust with contamination of even a single cell during its manufacturing being a possible explanation.

    A global standard for safety measures is yet to be established. Common in all techniques is the use of immense quantities of water, essentially to cool the battery, or simply let the fire burn itself out. Using gas extinguishers to suffocate the flame does not work, as being a chemical blaze, it does not require oxygen. The area around must also be checked for battery cells that could have been propelled from the pack by an explosion and might spontaneously ignite later. Following containment, the burnt-out EV must be removed and deposited in a compound away from buildings and other vehicles.

    These matters need to be taken seriously and proper research and testing should be undertaken before introducing the vehicle. Negligence is fatal and If this continues, its not long before the e-scooters will be taken off the road.

     

    Related Post

    Most Popular

    Best Picks

    WISE Testing Solutions: Comprehensive Products and Services for Vehicle Development and EV Battery Testing

    WISE Testing Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a privately held company registered as a limited company, aims to provide a comprehensive range of products and services...

    Anton Paar: Revolutionizing EV Battery Testing with Standardization Initiatives

    Anton Paar, a distinguished company specializing in the development, production, and distribution of precision laboratory instruments and process measuring systems, alongside delivering customized automation...

    Exploring the Challenges and Testing Methods for Electric Vehicle...

    Aimil Ltd. is an esteemed organization celebrated for its exceptional expertise spanning multiple domains such as electric vehicle battery testing (both electrical and mechanical),...

    “The core idea behind u-blox has always been to...

    u-blox develops some of the world’s leading IoT communication and GNSS modules, chips and services supporting the industrial, automotive and consumer markets. Recently Andreas...

    PRAGYATMIKA: Empowering EV, Automotive, and E-Mobility with Cutting-Edge Technology...

    PRAGYATMIKA stands out as a leading provider of effective technology solutions for the EV, automotive, and e-mobility sectors. Their comprehensive services go beyond technological...

    Jean-Louis CHAMPSEIX, VP, Head of Corporate Sustainability, emphasizes :...

    ST addresses twofold imperatives - i.e. making technology itself more sustainable, and using technology to become more sustainable. ST is one of the largest...

    Exploring the Impact of Aarjay International’s Testing & Automation...

    Aarjay International is widely recognized for its outstanding expertise in delivering comprehensive test and automation solutions. Their wide range of services encompasses electronics and...

    Future of High Voltage EV: Wide Band Gap Semiconductors

    Article Courtesy: Sterling Gtake E Mobility Limited INTRODUCTION: Wide band gap semiconductors (SiC & GaN) are regarded as the next-generation power semiconductor for automotive applications...

    Motor Control and Human Interface Technologies from Virtual Forest...

    Forests are a vital part of human existence thus it relies upon them how to conserve the forests and maintain the ecological balance. Over...

    Must Read