After sending show cause notices to the electric scooter manufacturers for multiple fire incidents, the central government is now reportedly planning to impose monetary penalties for using unsafe batteries in those vehicles that led to such safety incidents.
While the government does not intend to take any severe action because the electric vehicle (EV) industry is still in its infancy, it believes that a penalty would “act as a deterrent for companies compromising on quality,” according to a Mint report. The development follows union minister Nitin Gadkari’s statement last month that his ministry issued a show-cause notice to the CEOs and MDs of escooter companies involved in the fire incidents, requiring them to explain why the relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act were not followed.