Battery defects, insufficient testing caused EV fires: DRDO report

'Defects may have happened because companies intentionally used lower-grade materials to cut costs,' it says.

The electric scooter fires that made news in recent weeks were caused by defects in their batteries, including in the designs of the battery packs and modules, says a report by the Defence Research & Development Organisation. A person who has seen the report told Business Standard the defects may have crept in because electric two-wheeler companies intentionally used lower-grade materials to cut costs.

The country aims to increase the share of electric scooters and motorcycles in total two-wheeler sales to 80 per cent by 2030 from 2 percent now. However, consumer sentiment has been roiled by the nine reported