Pure EV Electric Scooter Catches Fire In India; Industry Experts Blame 'Thermal Runaway' Of The Lithium-Ion Batteries

In less than five days, another electric scooter has caught fire in India. A video of a Pure EV EPluto 7G Electric Scooter catching fire on the outskirts of Chennai, India has surfaced online. In a similar incident reported on March 26, a dark blue Ola Electric S1 Pro Scooter caught fire in Pune, India. A few days back, a similar incident of an Okinawa electric scooter catching fire was reported in India which led to two casualties.This was the 4^th incident in 4 days which has prompted a response from the Indian government as well. There's no clear reason why the scooters are catching fire but industry experts are blaming the thermal runaway of the Lithium-ion battery as the likely cause.What is Thermal Runaway?Thermal runaway is one of the primary risks related to lithium-ion batteries. It is a phenomenon in which the lithium-ion cell enters an uncontrollable, self-heating state (Link 1). In thermal runaway, the battery cell temperature rises incredibly fast (milliseconds). The energy stored in that battery is released very suddenly. This chain reaction creates extremely high temperatures (around 752 degrees Fahrenheit / 400 degrees Celsius). These temperatures can cause gassing of the battery and a fire that is so hot it can be nearly impossible to extinguish (Link 2).What causes Thermal Runaway?Thermal runaway usually begins when the heat generated within a battery exceeds the amount of heat that is dissipated to its surroundings. In the Indian subcontinent, the temperature can reach as high as 45 degrees and that can trigger a battery fire. Thermal runaway can occur due to an internal short circuit caused by physical damage to the battery or poor battery maintenance. Similarly, overcharging a battery beyond its safe max voltage and rapid charging can also lead to excessive currents and trigger a chain reaction.Pure EV's statementPure EV has said the company is investigating the incident. The Hyderabad-based manufacturer said, “We have taken cognizance of the incident reported with one of our customer vehicles in Tamil Nadu and preliminary information has been obtained from the concerned client and our dealer. The accident vehicle has been brought to our concerned dealer service station for further analysis. We are investigating the incident and will do a thorough assessment. We adhere to the highest safety standards through rigorous internal testing as well as special phase change materials being implemented in our battery packs to avoid rapid-fire/blast kind of scenarios.”Their statement also reads “PURE batteries come with the state-of-the-art thermal management system, which is a combination of the electronics coupled with multiple active/passive materials, to avoid the thermal-runaway events. We also have a special vent mechanism so that the smoke get released immediately whenever there is any kind of event inside the battery, otherwise, a pressure cooker kind of scenario can take place, leading to a sudden blast/explosion. Although we are yet to receive the full information in the enclosed thermal runaway investigation form, however, the preliminary information revealed that the white smoke has come out for a long time (which is due to the melting of the organic-based phase change materials) for many minutes, followed by the controlled thermal runaway event and finally leading to the uncontrolled fire.”Pure EV in NepalPure EV, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad incubated Electric Vehicle manufacturer based in Hyderabad, has a presence in the Nepalese market too. In our market, Pure EV offers the EPluto 7G alongside the Etrance Neo electric scooter. Both scooters come equipped with a 2,200-watt motor and a removable 60V 40AH Lithium-ion battery that can be recharged in 4 hours. Similarly, both scooters have a top speed of 60 km/h top speed and a range of 116 km on a full charge.