NEW DELHI: Days after it announced an investment of Rs 500 crore to set up a new facility, Okinawa Autotech was again hit by a fire incident. A dealership of the company in Mangaluru (Karnataka) went up in flames on Friday; two months after a similar incident took place in its dealership in Tamil Nadu,
In a statement, Okinawa said that the fire was caused due to a short circuit at the dealership. Okinawa had also cited an electric short circuit as the reason for the previous fire incident as well. “We are aware of an unfortunate fire incident at one of our showrooms in Mangaluru this morning. As stated by the dealer, the fire was caused due to an electric short circuit,” said the electric vehicle maker in a statement.
“We are in touch with the dealership and we are extending all the necessary support. Safety is at the core of Okinawa Autotech and we want to assure that the highest standards of safety are maintained in our dealerships across the country,” it added.
Besides fire incidents in its showrooms, the company’s electric vehicle in March this year was involved in a fire incident in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore, claiming the lives of two people. Following this and Niti Aayog’s call for a voluntary recall, Okinawa had recalled 3,215 units of its Praise Pro Scooters in April to check battery-related issues.
The element of safety in EVs, especially of two-wheelers, has taken a backseat as fire incidents have been reported in the products of a number of players including Ola Electric, Pure EV, and Hero Electric among others. On Thursday, Tata Motors became the latest company to join the list when its Nexon EV caught fire in Mumbai.
Following these multiple incidents, the government set up an expert panel “to enquire into these incidents and make recommendations on remedial steps.” The panel is expected to submit its report by this month-end. The Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS), India’s national standard body, on Friday published standards for electric vehicle batteries.