Editorial: Address safety concerns

While the future, no doubt, belongs to electric vehicles, safety issues plaguing the fledgling industry must be fixed now before penetrating the market. The safety of users is paramount and there should be no compromise on this. A spate of fire accidents, including explosion of batteries, has shaken the industry and could potentially bring down […]

While the future, no doubt, belongs to electric vehicles, safety issues plaguing the fledgling industry must be fixed now before penetrating the market. The safety of users is paramount and there should be no compromise on this. A spate of fire accidents, including explosion of batteries, has shaken the industry and could potentially bring down the growth rate and supply of EVs at least in the short term. Parliament was recently informed that three manufacturers of electric two-wheelers recalled over 6,600 vehicles in April following fire incidents and that these cases have not impacted the nationwide sales of EVs. However, it must be pointed out that the safety concerns threaten to impede India’s green push. Last month, the National Highways for Electric Vehicles (NHEV), which facilitates ease of doing business in the electric mobility sector, made recommendations to the NITI Aayog on the maintenance of EVs and their batteries after an electric SUV caught fire in Maharashtra. The NHEV made it clear that users deserved to know what they are buying, driving and the risks associated. Regular monitoring and strict action by the authorities are needed to ensure that the EV industry sticks to the guidelines and makes no compromise on safety. Though it is being pushed as the technology of the future, the technical glitches and manufacturing defects involving electric vehicles across the country come as a setback. After a thorough probe into the instances of battery fires, there is a need to formulate fresh guidelines on the safety of EVs. At a time when there is an increasing focus on clean fuels, the EV industry cannot afford to lose public trust and consumer confidence.

The fresh guidelines must focus on different tests to be conducted to ascertain safety standards. Manufacturers, specialists and certification agencies need to work towards a whole new change around battery technology in the coming days. The number of registered EVs in India has crossed 13 lakh, which is just a drop in the ocean compared to the nearly 28 crore non-electric vehicles on the roads. Improving the coverage and efficiency of the charging stations is another challenge. Under the FAME-I (faster adoption and manufacturing of hybrid and electric vehicles) scheme, the Centre sanctioned 520 EV charging stations, of which 479 were installed till July 1. Under FAME-II, 2,877 EV stations were earmarked for 68 cities in 25 States/UTs, but only 50 of them were set up till the same date. Faster charging at these stations is a must to reduce the drivers’ waiting time. The prohibitive pricing of EVs is another constraint. In this regard, it is a welcome development that the government has decided to bring EVs under the production-linked incentive scheme for the automobile and auto component industry, reduce GST on electric vehicles and chargers, and waive road tax.

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