Ola Electric’s S1 Pro Catches Fire Near A College In Pune, Company Responds

On Sunday, October 28, 2023, another incident of an Ola Electric scooter catching fire was reported near the D.Y. Patil College in Pune, Maharashtra. The video of the burning scooter surfaced on the microblogging platform X. The Pune Mirror uploaded the video, showcasing firefighters extinguishing the fire.

Ola S1 Pro Catches Fire Near A Parking Lot

The electric scooter that caught fire was the Ola Electric S1 Pro. However, whether it was the first generation or the second generation of the model isn’t known at the moment. The incident occurred at about 08:30 AM IST, near the parking area of the D.Y. Patil College, Pimpri, Chinchwad. Fortunately, the firefighters dealt with the fire promptly, and no one was injured.

Here’s What Caused The Fire

On October 29, 2023, Ola Electric issued an official statement through its Instagram account, saying that “the customer is safe and unharmed.” The company also revealed that the cause of the fire was aftermarket parts used in the scooter that led to a short circuit, resulting in the incident. In addition, the battery of the vehicle was intact and functional. The company, however, didn’t provide more details, which could have been helpful for other Ola S1 Pro customers.

Nonetheless, buyers should still refrain from installing third-party accessories or spare parts in their electric scooters. Unlike engine-powered scooters or cards, battery-operated electric vehicles heavily rely on sophisticated hardware that controls all the devices in the relay, including the motor, battery controller, etc., and adding aftermarket equipment could expose people to the risk of malfunctions.

This is not the first time an Ola Electric scooter has caught fire, as a few days ago, another S1 Pro burst into flames in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Earlier this year, these EV fire incidents were so severe that the government had to deploy the Center for Fire, Explosive, and Environment Safety under the Defence Research and Development Organization to investigate and find out the cause behind such incidents.

The team found out that defects in the design of battery packs and modules from the EV automakers were at fault.

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