Admittedly, the two-wheeler EV market is going through a crisis period in India. The unfortunate fire mishaps involving many brands of e-scooters has engendered a crisis of confidence. For instance, the total registrations of electric two-wheelers from the top 10 players in India slipped to 36,535 units in May from 45,084 units in April --- a near 20% fall. The DRDO's report has pointed fingers at the companies for using sub-standard materials for battery packs.
The companies whose vehicles were involved in fire incidents have clammmed up. They look like they are just waiting for this tough situation to pass over. Brands like Ola --- a couple of vehicles were involved in the fire accidents --- have moved on after making cursory noises.
As it happens, it is companies who were relatively undented by the EV fires, the ones like Simple Energy and and Ather Energy who have responded to the crisis in the industry with some responsibility.
Simple Energy has deferred the delivery of its Simple One vehicles, as the company expects the government to come out with a new battery swapping policy.
On the other hand, Ather Energy has bravely decided to take on the subject of battery fire in one of its ads.
Ather put its engineer in the line of fire
Our batteries are cool. This video is even cooler. pic.twitter.com/ksLpEJWCStJune 10, 2022
In one of its ads, Ather Energy has used one of its real engineers --- his name is Shreyas Seethapathy --- to broach the subject of the burning issue, in more ways than one, without sounding like a propaganda. There is a matter of factness to the Ather's ad, and Shreyas is shown to be eating an ice cream sitting on a large oven like contraption inside which a battery pack is 'baking'. There are four animated fires in the background, while Shreyas doesn't say or do anything other than eat the ice cream, a voiceover makes the claim that the Ather Energy vehicles are safe enough for all weather condition. It is safe enough for one of its engineers to sit atop a oven in which a battery is being 'cooked' at high temperature and with fires burning around. The message is straight and clear.
Even though it is just an ad, it should be said that Ather deserves credit for not shying away from talking about core issue facing the industry: The high-inflammable battery packs. And by actually putting one of its engineers in the ad, the company has visibly demonstrated its seriousness. This kind of communication sends out a reassurance to the general public that the company is seized of a serious issue and is actually addressing it. Other brands seem to be hiding themselves behind the veil of silence.
For the record, Chetak electric scooter company CEO Ravi Bajaj is the only other industry person who has directly spoken on the issue.
It should also be stated that there was a fire incident in one of the Ather's 'experience stores' due to what the company described as a 'rare accident' involving one of its vehicles. Ather Energy has two e-scooters --- 450 Plus and 450 X --- in the market.
