In the last couple of years, there have been plenty of untoward incidents involving electric vehicles (EVs) especially in the two-wheeler segment. Fire breakouts and chassis damages have become a common occurrence in the online world with Ola Electric usually hogging the limelight in these cases.
Recently, a Bajaj Chetak came into limelight for wrong reasons after it reportedly caught fire. This came after a strong statement by Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto, saying “Ola toh Ola hai, Chetak shola hai” — implying that although Ola continues to be a significant player, Chetak’s meteoric rise is shaking up the industry.
For context, Bajaj was asked about Chetak overtaking Ola Electric sales in November this year at a recent TV interview. A concerning incident involving a Bajaj Chetak electric scooter occurred in Chattrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, on December 5th. The incident occurred on Jalna Road, where two farmers noticed smoke coming out from their Ola scooter.
The local fire department was able to douse the fire by spraying water into the scooter.While the exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, the incident has sparked discussions around the safety of electric vehicles. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Bajaj Auto statement
Now, Bajaj Auto has released an official statement in response to this unfortunate incident. The official statement reads as “An incident involving a Chetak electric scooter was reported in the afternoon hours of the 5th of December at Chattrapati Sambhaji Nagar, (Aurangabad). As soon as this was brought to our attention, the dealer partner took swift action by moving the vehicle to the service centre for a thorough investigation. The incident resulted in no harm to any individuals.
Preliminary investigations reveal that while there was no fire or thermal runaway, the event was limited to smoke emission from a plastic component, with the battery and motor remaining intact. The materials used in the battery pack ensured the safety of the vehicle even under such a condition.
As a manufacturer, Bajaj Auto is committed to maintaining high quality products to ensure customer safety. We are conducting a comprehensive investigation to determine the root cause of this isolated incident, fully committed to understanding and addressing any potential issues.
Bajaj Auto has been at the forefront of electric mobility, with over 300,000 Chetak scooters on Indian roads. Our extensive network includes 3800+ service centres, and on-road service points, underlining our commitment to customer satisfaction and safety. We urge our customers to exclusively use our authorized service network to maintain the highest standards of safety and quality for their Chetaks.The safety of customers and stakeholders has always been the absolute highest priority at Bajaj Auto.”
Interestingly, there has been no response from Ola Electric yet, especially since the company CEO and co-founder, Bhavish Aggarwal doesn’t shy away from taking pot shots at rival EV manufacturers. More importantly, this comes a few days before Bajaj is about to launch a new-gen model of the Chetak electric scooter on December 20. The new-gen Chetak is expected to be underpinned by a new chassis which increases the underseat boot storage.
