Electric vehicle showroom in Andhra Pradesh catches fire, 36 e-bikes burnt down

The fire destroyed the electric vehicles in Andhra Pradesh but was extinguished by the firefighters who reached the scene quickly; however, the cause of the fire has not been determined yet.

A massive fire in an electric vehicle showroom in Andhra Pradesh's Parvatipuram district destroyed up to 36 electric bikes. The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday at Manam Motors in Palakonda town. The fire destroyed e-bikes and batteries stored in the showroom for special Diwali discounts. Firefighters rushed to the scene and extinguished the fire. Officials believe the fire was started by a short circuit. According to a police officer, the exact cause will be determined after an investigation. 

According to the showroom management, the fire caused a loss of about Rs 50 lakh. A huge fire in an e-bike showroom in Hyderabad last month resulted in the death of eight persons. The fire from the showroom located in the basement of a multi-storey building had spread to a hotel on the top floor, killing eight persons and injuring nine others staying in the hotel.

Previously, there have been many electric scooter fire incidents after which the government introduced a few safety norms for EVs. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) introduced a set of new safety standards. The modifications imposed strict limitations on battery pack design, onboard chargers, and thermal propagation resulting from internal cell short-circuiting that causes fire. 

According to a release, the updated standards took effect on October 1, 2022. The announcement of the change to the AIS 156 and AIS 038 Rev.2 standards for the relevant categories of electric cars, which took effect on October 1, 2022, is included in the release.

"Based on the recommendations of the expert committee report, the ministry on August 29, 2022, has issued an amendment to AIS 156- Specific requirements for motor vehicles of L category with electric power train, and amendment 2 to AIS 038 Rev. 2 - Specific requirements for Electric Power Train of motor vehicles of M category and N category (motor vehicle with at least four wheels used for carrying goods which may also carry persons in addition to the goods)," the release said.

With inputs from IANS