Ola Responds After E-Scooter Catches Fire In Pune, Blames Aftermarket Parts

Several videos recently surfaced on social media showing an Ola electric scooter catching fire in Pune. The incident happened on Saturday when an Ola S1 Pro caught fire near the parking lot of D.Y Patil College in Pimpri Chinchwad. The videos showed smoke coming out of the burning as the fire brigade team used a water hose to control the blaze.

Ola electric scooter reportedly caught fire near the parking lot of D.Y Patil College in Pimpri Chinchwad today at around 8:30am. The fire brigade swiftly responded and extinguished the flames. #Pune
pic.twitter.com/kujRzVmfB9

— Pune City Life (@PuneCityLife) October 28, 2023

Reacting to the videos, Ola has now claimed that the incident occurred due to an aftermarket part used in the scooter. The company has confirmed that the scooter's battery remains intact and functional. Fortunately, the customer involved in the incident is safe and unharmed.

''We have received a report of an incident with one of our scooters in Pune yesterday. The customer is safe and unharmed. Our investigation has revealed that aftermarket parts used in the scooter led to a short circuit which resulted in the incident,'' the company said in  statement on X. 

''Our findings have further confirmed that the battery of the vehicle is intact and functional. At Ola, safety is the highest priority and we follow stringent vehicle safety and quality standards. We urge our customers to only use genuine spare parts and accessories for all service requirements and contact us online or through the nearest Ola Experience Centre for support,'' the statement added. 

Here's the post:

Important update pic.twitter.com/K7pw71Xoxo

— Ola Electric (@OlaElectric) October 29, 2023

Ola also urged their customers to only use genuine spare parts and accessories for all services.

Recently, there have been widespread incidents of electric two-wheelers catching fire in various parts of the country forcing manufacturers to recall their vehicles. A few months back, a parked Ola Electric S1 Pro caught fire in Thiruvananthapuram.

 n March 2022, another Ola S1 Pro scooter caught fire in the Dhanori area of Pune. After the incident, Ola Electric recalled 1,441 units of its electric two-wheelers.

The fire incidents had prompted the government to form a panel to examine and had warned companies of penalties if they were found to be negligent.