Over the recent past, a series of instances of electric vehicles (EV), specifically electric two-wheelers catching fire in various parts of the country has left consumers and stakeholders worried. In the latest incident which happened in Telangana on the night of Tuesday, April 19, a man lost his life after the detachable battery of the electric scooter, which was kept for charging, exploded in his house. So far, three Pure EV, one Ola, two Okinawa, and 20 Jitendra EV scooters have caught fire. So what is causing this spate of incidents?
While it’s easy to attribute the EV fires to rising temperatures, experts suggest looking at how a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery is packed and designed. EVs are powered by Li-ion batteries, which are generally considered to be lightweight and efficient. However, they also pose a fire risk.
“Common misconceptions such as the Indian summers and poor thermal management being the reason for (outbreaks of) fire are not true. The recent fires you see are a result of thermal runaway,” according to Exponent Energy, an EV tech startup. Exponent Energy maintained that li-ion cells need to reach a few hundred degrees before having a thermal runaway incident.
“Most modern batteries automatically switch off around 45-55°C. And even if these thermal-based safety precautions don’t kick in, you won’t see a thermal runaway (fire) because batteries cannot heat themselves up by a few hundred degrees celsius under normal operations,” the blog said.
“99% of battery fires are due to short circuits leading to uncontrolled current. This is the only scenario in which cells heat themselves up beyond 100°C,” a blog post by the company added.
The reason why short circuits happen has also been attributed to poor cell quality, bad battery design and poor battery management system, where cells aren’t properly managed with the right software intelligence.
Tarun Mehta, founder of Ather Energy, told the Indian Express that manufacturers are not spending enough time to design products, and testing standards prescribed by government bodies may be inadequate to test all real-life situations accurately.
— Avoid charging the EV battery immediately after the EV stops running, since the li-ion cells contained in the battery remain hot for some time. Let the battery cool down and then put it on charge.
— Only use the designated battery and charging cable which is designed for the vehicle. Using a local battery that is cheaper can result in damage to the electric vehicle.
— If it is a detachable battery, avoid placing it in direct sunlight or in hot vehicles and keep it in areas with adequate ventilation. Take care to buy replacement batteries and chargers which match and come from the original manufacturer or an authorised seller.
— Inspect your battery periodically for damage before use and in case of any defect, stop using it and report it to the manufacturer. If the battery is extremely hot or shows any damage, avoid using it.
With increasing incidents of electric two-wheelers catching fire, the government has swung into action. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the companies found negligent will be penalised and a recall of all defective vehicles will be ordered after receiving the report of an expert panel that has been formed to enquire into the matter. In a series of tweets, Gadkari said several mishaps involving electric two-wheelers have come to light in the last two months, and the government will soon issue quality-centric guidelines for electric vehicles.
The government had ordered a probe last month after an e-scooter launched by ride-hailing operator Ola's electric mobility arm caught fire in Pune.
The Centre for Fire Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) had been asked to probe the circumstances that led to the incident and also suggest remedial measures, according to the road transport ministry. The ministry had also asked CFEES to share the findings along with its suggestions on measures to prevent such incidents.
Government think tank Niti Aayog on Thursday also came out with a draft battery swapping policy for electric vehicles and suggested incentives as well as a rigorous testing protocol for swappable batteries.
The Aayog in its draft policy further said all major cities such as state capitals, UT headquarters and cities with population above 5 lakh will be covered under the second phase, given the importance of the two-wheeler and three-wheeler vehicle segments in growing cities.
The policy seeks a level playing field across business models involving the sale of EVs with fixed or swappable batteries.
With PTI inputs