The central government will soon decide whether or not to pursue legal action against manufacturers of defective electric vehicles, months after a string of two-wheeler fires slowed India’s EV rush.
Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport, issued a warning to EV manufacturers in April, warning them with severe penalty if they are proven to have been negligent.
“If any company is found negligent in their processes, a heavy penalty will be imposed and a recall of all defective vehicles will also be ordered,” he had tweeted.
“We haven’t yet decided what penal action will be taken against the companies at fault. Once we receive all responses from the companies on show-cause notice, we’ll deliberate and decide what action needs to be taken. Meanwhile, they’ve been advised to course correct,” a senior official said.
The Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environmental Safety, a lab of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), submitted a study to the ministry last month that contained the findings that led to the show-cause letters being delivered to businesses including Ola, Okinawa, and PureEV .
