Massive Fire In Delhi EV Parking Space Guts Nearly 100 Vehicles

A massive fire at an EV parking facility in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar area last week gutted nearly 100 vehicles including e-rickshaws, cars and two-wheelers.

30 new e-rickshaws, 50 old e-rickshaws along with 10 cars, 2 scooters and a motorcycle were left gutted after the fire broke out in the EV parking space early in the morning on Wednesday, June 8th. A call was sent out to the Delhi Fire Department at 5 in the morning following which 11 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to help bring the fire under control.

The cause of the fire which saw nearly 100 vehicles gutted is yet to be ascertained, it is believed that it could have been caused by a short circuit. Many vehicles were left unrecognizable by the effects of the massive fire that evoked scenes out of the worst nightmares from hell, no one was injured or killed in the incident.

fire in Delhi is perhaps the biggest EV related fire to have been reported in the country. While the fire thankfully did not claim any lives, the inferno did end up charring many vehicles many of the e-rickshaws. The inferno which is now thankfully under control could have become a whole lot worse had it not been for the quick response of the Delhi Fire Department considering the number of vehicles that were parked in the area.

Image: DriveSpark

While the cause of the fire hasn’t been confirmed yet, the fact that it broke out in an EV parking area is just more bad news for India’s growing electric vehicle market. Over the past 2 to 3 months, reports have been trickling in about electric scooters catching fire which unlike today’s incident have also led to unfortunate losses of lives.

The national government has been cracking down on electric vehicle manufacturers whose scooters have been catching fire. After a spate of fires in electric scooters, the central government ordered the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) to investigate the incidents.

The results of the investigation by the DRDO’s Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) blamed bad battery design and serious defects in batteries and EV modules for the spate of fires related to electric vehicles. Based on the reports of the investigation, the government ordered Ola, Okinawa and Pure EV to give their take on the incidents before it takes appropriate action on these matters.

So what should you do in case your electrical vehicle catches fire? Well, the first thing you should do is not dump water on the fire, especially if it is the battery pack that has caught fire. Using water to extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire will cause the release of hydrogen gas, which is highly explosive and will only increase the intensity of the inferno.

Instead, first, call the fire brigade and if you have a powder style fire extinguisher that is rated for electrical fires make use of it as soon as possible. If the fire becomes too intense, step away and wait for the professionals to do their job. Remember, your life is more important than material things. Also, remember to document the incident if you can and report it to the authorities so that you can at least get the insurance people to foot the bill.

Considering the recent spate in EV related fires, it is high time that the Indian Government took action and drafted proper rules to ensure that all EVs keep to a certain standard which in turn will keep people safe.

See more here: drivespark.com

Header image: EV Auto

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Comments (8)

  • Avatar

    Brian James

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    FEB 18, 2022 Fire on Cargo Ship Packed With Porsches and VWs Is Reportedly Fueled by EV Batteries

    Lithium-ion batteries in the electric cars on board have caught fire and the blaze requires specialist equipment to extinguish, captain Joao Mendes Cabecas of the port of Hortas said.

    https://www.roadandtrack.com/a39137893/cargo-ship-fire-fueled-by-ev-batteries/

    Feb 17, 2022 Ship carrying 4,000 luxury cars catches fire in Atlantic Ocean

    Cargo ship carrying luxury cars, including Porches and Audis, caught fire in Atlantic Ocean. 656 foot-long Felicity Ace car-carrying ship caught fire near the Azores Islands. The ship was sailing from Emden in Germany to the port of Davisville in the US.

    https://youtu.be/9aD1kpsHeh0

    Reply

  • Avatar

    Andy (aka. "Roo63")

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    So eco-friendly are they not and they are determined to make sure that All of us use these contraptions and no doubt in the hope we are in/on them?
    Meanwhile, over here in Darlington, England, the number of EV’s which pass our home, on a daily basis, is staggering nowadays, proving that people will try anything different and/or, will do exactly what they are told to do, seeing as a lot of these vehicles are owned/operated by our Local Council. We DO NOT live on a Main Road, just a standard English Council Estate.
    Also, at Teesside International Airport, they are running a “Hydrogen Refuelling Program/scheme”, in which 2x Airport vehicles are Hydrogen-powered.

    The whole World, has gone bloody bonkers.
    Let’s insist they release to us, Water-powered vehicles? But there is no financial incentive in it for them, once such vehicles are up and running. Suppressed technology PROVEN to work clean and efficiently by their “Suicided” inventors, of course.

    Many thanks for sharing the article and to Brian James for the previous comment.
    All the best.

    Reply

  • Avatar

    K Kaiser

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    Better don’t ride e-rickshaws — could be detrimental to your health…
    KK

    Reply

  • Avatar

    SteveP

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    I remember re-packing a laptop battery and accidentally piercing one of the batteries. There was no ignition source anywhere but it immediately caught fire and burnt fiercely with a fascinating blue-green flame. I don’t know why it caught fire but I guess the little screw driver I was using to prise the batteries must have sparked against the metal case of the battery Those things are dangerous and so am I.

    Reply

  • Avatar

    Charles Higley

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    It matters little that they want the batteries to be higher quality because they all become low quality as they age. They will eventually ALL do something bad unless they are scrapped first.

    Reply

  • Avatar

    Allan Shelton

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    Most new technology has skeptics.
    Electricity at the Chicago World’s Fair in the late 1800s.
    Automobiles, because one could not travel at a high speed.
    Airplanes, etc., etc.
    This Canadian company has patents and the technology to make safer, cheaper batteries along with backers to produce these advanced type of battery.
    Check it out….. https://www.nanoone.ca/

    Reply

  • Avatar

    Tom

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    I would expect as your precious earth saving EV ages, the electronics and circuits will be come more susceptible to extreme damage and the possibility of an inferno engulfing that miracle of miracles. That is unless you can afford to spend $50-80K every 6-8 years to get a new miracle of miracles.

    Or perhaps you expect to replace the battery in 8-10 years in which case the $15-20K battery might cost twice that with lithium growing scarcer.

    Reply

    • Avatar

      SteveP

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      Not many could afford that expense. I guess it goes along with – You will own nothing and be happy.

      Reply

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