India wants electric scooters and motorcycles to account for 80% of total two-wheeler sales by 2030, up from roughly 2% now, and Modi's administration is offering businesses billions of dollars in incentives to manufacture electric vehicles in the country (EVs.)
Electric scooter sales have more than quadrupled this year, but the fires have made some potential buyers think twice.
A video of an Ola e-scooter engulfed in flames recently went popular on the internet, prompting an unusual police investigation. A scooter from Pure EV caught fire as well, and two people were killed by a flaming Okinawa Autotech Pvt bike. The companies claim to be looking into the instances.
Three potential purchasers told Reporters that they were postponing their purchases, while many expressed their worries on social media this week, with several saying they were contemplating whether it was the appropriate time to go electric.
"I did a lot of research before making my decision, but I'm now second-guessing myself. I'm going to get a conventional motorcycle "Praharsh Mahadevia, a 28-year-old engineer from Ahmedabad in western India agreed.
An Indian journalist, Nayeem Quadri, is having "second thoughts" as a result of the "repeated instances of fires," he stated.