Highlighting the keenness of Indians on acquiring electric vehicles, Nitin Gadkari, minister of road transport and highways, said he is having to send out letters to EV makers for easier and faster deliveries.

When asked how many such letters he has handed out, Gadkari said: "Till now, I have given 50-60 letters. People are coming to me to get EVs because the waiting list is six to eight months. They are requesting letters to take to EV makers." Gadkari was speaking on the second day of the three-day Raisina Dialogue.

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Featuring Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) and Shereen Bhan (@ShereenBhan)#RaisinaDialogue2022 #TerraNova https://t.co/XbcLcrXdgK— Raisina Dialogue (@raisinadialogue) April 26, 2022

Calling on EV makers, Gadkari requested all firms to recall all models that have been involved in fire accidents in India. "There are some problems with the battery cell. We have appointed a high-level committee. The country's high temperatures may be the leading cause of these fires," he said.

Also Read | EV fires: All testing norms for batteries, cells and battery management being revised

In recent weeks, there have been close to a dozen cases of e-scooters catching fire or being involved in them, including one made by SoftBank Group-backed Ola Electric, sparking safety concerns among some buyers.

Scooters involving Indian start-ups Okinawa and PureEV have also been involved in fire incidents.

He said the government was working on standards and regulations to prevent such EV fires. "Request companies to recall products if there are defects. Would appeal to EV makers to be cautious while using these cells," Gadkari said.

Talking about Elon Musk, who is in the news for making a hostile takeover of Twitter, Gadkari said, "Musk can sell Tesla cars in India if he manufactures in India. However, he can not manufacture in China and sell in India."

He said the government is also working on mass transportation on electricity.

Gadkari reiterated that the future fuel in the country is LNG. "The minister of road transport and highways will encourage flex engines for future, which can run 100 percent on bio-ethanol," he said.

Also read | FAQ: Planning to buy an electric vehicle? Here are answers to all your queries

First Published:Apr 26, 2022 12:31 PM IST