UNFORTUNATE FLARE UPS IN EV SECTOR

Electric two-wheelers are in the news for all the wrong reasons. So, what's gone wrong?

-  SHASHANK SINGH

We have seen so much unfortunate news, and in many cases, watching videos of electric two-wheelers spontaneously going up in flames. In many cases, these fires have also ended in explosions. Even worse, the rider or pillion have either been badly injured, or in a few cases, met with unfortunate fatality. In all these cases one thing seems common, the spread of fire in these electric vehicles (EVS) have been so rapid that no one had any time or chance to do anything about it.

Steering clear from the negative publicity and hype doing the rounds, there is one common technical factor central to all these accidents. Which is their energy storage system or battery. These batteries have been infamous for catching fire on their own in the past. However, their technology has been matured over a period of time, and now we are simply surrounded by them. For example, they are found in our mobile phones, laptops, smartwatches, wireless earphones and of course our EVs. These devices aren't flaring up into fireworks, are they? Then why, in particular in the case of electric two-wheelers, are these batteries venting their energy in the wrong way so often? Well, this can be understood by studying the certain methods or safeties which are there to prevent this.