Trial by fire

E-scooter fires a wake-up call for India's electric vehicle strategy

- MOUSHUMI MOHANTY

INDIA'S PLAN to have electric scooters and bikes comprise 180 per cent of its two-wheeler market has hit a snag. There have been at least three deaths due to electric two-wheelers catching fire in the past one year. On March 28, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways ordered a probe into the circumstances that led to the fire incidents. The findings, submitted by the Centre for Fire Explosives and Environment Agency (CFEEA) in May, point at unsafe battery cells and faulty pack design.

Incidents of e-scooters going up in flames have come as a surprise to many because most manufacturing companies have capable technical teams, which include alumni from India's reputed institutions. However, electric vehicle (EV) battery expertise is a relatively new skill in the country. In fact, the EV itself is a new animal and battery is its most important, performance-defining component.

The EV battery pack comprises multiple battery cells and a battery management system (BMS). The cells have four essential components-cathode, anode, separator and electrolyte. Battery cells operate by discharging lithium ions from the anode to the cathode through the electrolyte. Most lithium-ion batteries use anodes made of graphite, which receives lithium ions as the battery charges, and releases them as it discharges.

The maximum amount of lithium that can be collected on the anode measures the battery's capacity, defining the distance a vehicle can be driven on a single charge. Information such as the C-rate or charging speed and other factors related to battery health is controlled by BMS, which is an integral part of the battery. India does not manufacture either BMS or the battery cells. Some companies assemble BMS with imported components while others buy them off the shelf and integrate them with battery cells.