Okinawa Electric Scooter Showroom Catches Fire In India

Last Updated on April 19, 2022 by Anu Joy

It’s summer time in most parts of India and the electric scooters are facing the heat, quite literally. Latest reports state that an Okinawa showroom in Tamil Nadu has caught fire. In the video, we can see thick black smoke coming out of the showroom. Many believe it could be due to a battery fire as there have been many instances of electric scooters going up in flames lately. This news comes just after the Indian EV company issued a recall of its Praise Pro electric vehicles. 

Previously, Okinawa Autotech had identified some battery-related issues with its Praise Pro electric scooters. It recalled about 3,215 units of the Praise Pro on April 16, 2022. Last month, a father and daughter of Vellore, Tamil Nadu lost their lives due to a battery blast of their new Okinawa electric scooter. M. Duraivarma, (49), had got the delivery of his brand new Okinawa scooter just a few days before the incident. 

Okinawa released a statement after the incident blaming the negligence of the owner. It said, “Our heartfelt condolences to the family. As per credible sources, the media, and the local authorities, it is an evident case of short circuit due to negligence in charging the vehicle.” According to the company, the charging socket was incapable of handling the power output and as a result it led to a short circuit, and the scooter went up in flames. 

Now, after the Okinawa dealership incident, the company has cleared that this one too was a short circuit related issue and has nothing to do with the quality of battery packs or the thermal management in its EVs. According to the company, there was some issue in the panel wiring of the building, which caused the fire and the brand-new Okinawa electric scooters fell prey to it. 

However, there are a couple of videos on the internet where parked Okinawa scooters caught fire and clearly weren’t plugged in for charging. In one of the videos, we could see the battery pack placed under the seat emitting white fumes. The person in the video removes the battery pack out of the vehicle to prevent any further damage. Okinawa isn’t the only brand that is facing these issues, an Ola electric S1 Pro scooter also went up in flames in Pune recently. Such incidents are sure to discourage prospective buyers from transitioning to an EV. These are early days and it is advisable to wait for the technology to evolve before taking the plunge. 

Also Read: Ola S1 Pro Electric Scooter Issues Include Unwanted Reverse Mode Activation Due To Software Bug