Lok Sabha Question No. 1618 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-10
Subject: Fire Prune Electrical Vehicles
Ministry: HEAVY INDUSTRIES
Asked by: Shri Anil Yeshwant Desai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1618

ANSWERED ON 10.02.2026

## FIRE PRUNE ELECTRICAL VEHICLES

## 1618.  SHRI ANIL YESHWANT DESAI:

## Will the Minister of HEAVY INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is not a fact that there are a large number of fire incidents in Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the recent past, if so, the number of such fire incidents in the country during the last three years;
- (b) the root cause for these incidents along with the outcome of investigation done by the Government and industry experts;
- (c) whether such fire incidents are common in EVs in other countries also; and
- (d) whether it is not desirable to stop its manufacture and use in our country taking into account the loss of lives due to fire incidents?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEAVY INDUSTRIES (SHRI BHUPATHIRAJU SRINIVASA VARMA)

(a): The  Government  is  cognizant  of  fire  incidents  involving  electric  vehicles.  While  specific, centralized data solely tracking battery-fire incidents across the country is not available, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has implemented the eDAR (Electronic Detailed Accident Report) portal to monitor road accidents. As per data available on the eDAR portal, which began capturing a dedicated field for Motorized Electric Vehicles from 14.11.2022 onwards, a total of 23,865 accidents involving electric vehicles have been recorded across various States over the last three years, as  detailed in  the  table  below.  Of  these,  26  incidents  involving  fire  in  electric  vehicles  have  been reported across various States during the same period, as indicated below.

| Sr. No.   | Year   | Number of Accidents Involving Electric Vehicles   |   Number of Accidents Involving Fire in Electric Vehicles |
|-----------|--------|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| 1         | 2023   | 5,594                                             |                                                         8 |
| 2         | 2024   | 7,817                                             |                                                         9 |
| 3         | 2025   | 10,454                                            |                                                         9 |
|           | Total  | 23,865                                            |                                                        26 |

(b): To determine the root causes of these incidents, MoRTH constituted an investigating team of independent experts from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) Bengaluru, and the Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL) Visakhapatnam. Based on the recommendations of this committee and a subsequent committee of experts, the Government implemented the following outcomes:

(i) Safety  Standard  Amendments:  Ministry  of  Road  Transport  and  Highways  (MoRTH)  had constituted a committee of experts to suggest the formulation of safety standards for the battery and its components, as well as BMS and related systems in electric vehicles. Based on the recommendation of  the  committee,  MoRTH  vide  S.O.  4567  (E)  dated  28.09.2022  has  brought  amendment  to  the Automotive Industry Standards, AIS:156 [Specific requirements for L (a motor vehicle less than four wheels  and  quadricycle)  category  electric  power  train  vehicles]  and  AIS:038  (Rev  2)  [Specific Requirements for M Category, (a motor vehicle with at least four wheels used for carrying passenger)

N Category (a motor vehicle with at least four wheels used for carrying goods) Electric Power Train Vehicles] to prescribe Technical Requirements for Traction Battery of L, M and N Category of Electric Power Train Vehicles. The said Amendments are applicable from 01.12.2022.

(ii) Conformity of Production (COP): MoRTH had issued a notification, vide G.S.R 888(E) dated 19.12.2022, for the requirements of Conformity of Production (COP), in respect of all categories of Electric vehicles including Quadricycles, E-rickshaws, two wheelers and four wheelers.

(c): No such study has been carried out by the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI).

(d): The Government has no proposal or intention to stop the manufacture or use of electric vehicles in the country. Instead of halting production, the Government's strategy is to strengthen the safety ecosystem  through  more  rigorous  testing  standards  and  regulatory  oversight  while  continuing  to promote adoption to meet greenhouse gas mitigation targets and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

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