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(Mustafa Wajid is Chair, Steering Committee, IET FoMT Panel, and MD, Meher Group)

The EV scene in our country just got hotter, literally, in recent days! Some E-scooters caught fire, and there were many questions asked. How could these kind of safety hazards happen? What are the EV manufacturers doing? What should the government authorities do? Will consumers reconsider their choices? And so on. In this article, there are some answers and some additional questions we need to consider, as we attempt to plot out the future for the sector. Let’s start with the most responsible party – the manufacturers.

Let us consider the inside of the Electric Vehicle. A battery pack consists of large number of battery cells that are stacked and interconnected using metal connectors, fuses, sensors, etc. Such stacks are integrated with an electronic battery management system or “BMS”, and then packaged into a mechanical enclosure (generally plastic) with specific cooling arrangements.

Within an EV, a battery cell can catch fire only if the temperature inside the cell exceeds the flammable levels of the materials in such cells. This can sometimes happen due to a combination of several factors – badly engineered battery management systems which allow cells to degrade and get damaged, variations in quality of cells, insufficient cooling etc., Now, obviously, this safety issue is the responsibility of the EV manufacturers. So what should they do?

· EV manufacturers must compulsorily review all aspects of their products from the ground-up: their battery pack designs, engineering parameters including the BMS, and ensure specific modifications and upgrades as needed. This review must be taken up on a war-footing.

· EV manufacturers must additionally intensify safety and performance evaluation of the battery packs used. They may need to ramp up investments sharply – in human resources, testing infrastructure, engineering resources, software & analytics, to get this right. Getting the right skills and resources will prove to be critical for success and safety.

· EV manufacturers must also ensure that battery cells with highly consistent parameters are used. This calls for close co-operation between the EV manufacturer and the battery cell manufacturer -combined with continuously alert and responsive supply chain management.

· Most importantly, EV manufacturers should be prepared to rapidly execute vehicle batch recall & replacement activities whenever needed. (The traditional automotive industry has seen several such events – on both technical and safety issues, and we must not forget that this is an emerging sector.)

What should the government and authorities do?

A key role of authorities is to keep consumers safe while ensuring enforcement of compliance of EVs and all related items with prevailing standards. Concerned authorities must therefore urgently review existing EV standards, regulations, certification protocols, compare them to international guidelines and upgrade them as needed.

Additionally, authorities also need to clearly define the legal framework on matters of liability and compensation, in this context. For example, battery-swapping is clearly going to be an important part of the emerging EV eco-system. Battery swapping stations can be located in active public places, fuel stations i.e. away from the vehicle. The risks of collateral damage of a fire in such a situation can be very different. These topics are complex and multilayered and need comprehensive interaction between a wide cross-section of stakeholders across government, independent experts, civil society etc.

 So what should we as consumers do?

Well-designed EVs today are typically “smart” or “connected” vehicles. This means that the status of vehicle parameters are being monitored in real time and theoretically, any abnormalities can be detected by the use of AI and analytics. Once detected, preventive measures can be executed before it reaches a critical stage! We are already used to this kind of information and warning on battery condition and health – modern smartphones show this in detail and in real time. Such indicators in EVs are a simple extension of this tech.

Thus, consumers, when buying EVs, must insist on many such “smart” features in the EV and take time to learn and understand how best to use and access predictive and intelligent features of the EV, on the smartphone app.

Most importantly, at the outset, as consumers, we must make sure of the following when we purchase an EV:

1. We must always use the right plugs, sockets and cables at every step – to connect the power supply to the EV Charger, and further downstream the EV Charger to the EV.

2. Additionally, we should ensure that a protection device (for eg, an MCB or Miniature Circuit Breaker) is also properly connected.

3. Lastly, get your EV supplier and a good electrician to check all this and make sure your EV and charging set up is safe – No fire! (Remember, one of the reported EV fires started outside the EV!)

Consumers should also stringently follow the charging and maintenance protocols as specified by the EV manufacturer.

In conclusion, let us acknowledge that there’s no question that EVs are the future. When used with renewable electricity, the EV enables a fully environmentally sustainable mobility model. It is imperative that we clean up our environment. We must remember that India’s energy security can only be strengthened if we reduce our historic dependence on petroleum.

While it is natural for anyone who has seen the videos of the recent EV fires to rethink buying an EV, it is important that we take a balanced view and continue to support the Electric mobility movement – all the while educating and keeping ourselves aware of currents norms and pushing for better regulations and smarter EV options, as consumers.

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Views expressed above are the author's own.

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