Electric scooter fire in Tamil Nadu: Okinawa not responsible this time, here's why?

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An Okinawa Praise Pro electric scooter caught fire in Hosur, Tamil Nadu on April 30 while the owner was driving the EV. The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), battery maker, and dealer shared exclusive details about the incident and the company is not to be blamed this time. It has been discovered that the e-scooter, namely the Okinawa Praise Pro which was purchased last year, had not been brought for service for many months, as reported by IANS. 

"At the time of delivery, customers are informed about EV scooter usage, battery maintenance, and regular preventive services, and the same is also clearly stated in the company’s owner’s manual. We conduct vehicle health checkup camps and awareness campaigns at regular intervals to ensure the smooth running of the vehicle," the dealer told IANS.

"Despite repeated reminders to the customer in the form of phone calls, this scooter has not been brought in for a regular service checkup for months," it added. The recent reminders were dated April 11, 18, and 26, as per the company records.

Samrath Kocher, Chief Executive Officer of Trontek Electronics Pvt. Ltd., who supplies batteries to Okinawa Autotech, stated that the battery quality and manufacturing standards follow all the regulatory guidelines as per the norms.

"This particular vehicle did not turn up for service for many months despite several reminders for Service checkups by CRM," an official spokesperson from Okinawa Autotech stated. "As a responsible company, we are regularly doing service and awareness campaigns with our dealer partners to increase awareness and educate them on the usage of Okinawa scooters and the upkeep of the batteries," he said.

For service initiatives, we have a strategic partnership with My TVS and over 700 local authorized garage owners to provide customers with convenient service at any time and from any location. Besides, we, as a responsible brand, have always followed the world-class manufacturing process and are certified as an IATF-16949:2016 company to deliver defect-free products to our customers," he further added.

Based on the discussions with the above stakeholders and the verification of all facts, it can be concluded that because EV is a new technology, it is important for customers too to understand `How to Take Proper Care` of vehicles and maintain them regularly.

For the larger vision of green and clean energy for the next generations, it is the shared responsibility of all stakeholders, including OEMs, dealers, customers, and even society, to take responsible action so that these types of incidents can be avoided and the trust in EVs can be cemented.

(With inputs from IANS)