On October 20, the day this writer made a call to Vasai resident Shahnawaz Ansari, his home was enveloped in a blanket of gloom. “My son would have been seven today,” he tells us. More than angry, his voice indicates that he is bereft of hope. On September 30, Ansari’s son succumbed to burn injuries after his electric bike battery exploded in the living room. His son was sleeping there when the incident occurred. Ansari had bought the Batt:Re LO:EV, an entry-level scooter for R82,000 in August 2021—the rise in fuel prices made it unaffordable to own anything else. “The government was also supporting use of Electric Vehicles, so I thought it was a reliable option,” adds the 35-year-old, who works as a driver for a transport company. His e-scooter had a removable battery, which he had plugged in for charging. “The bike manual mentioned charging the battery for three to three-and-a-half hours. I kept it for charging at around 3 am and went to sleep... it had been around two hours when all of a sudden, it exploded,” he recalls.  

Investigations are still on in the case. Ansari is hoping for a settlement with the company. If that doesn’t happen, he will give the two-wheeler to a scrap dealer. One thing he is sure of: “I won’t buy an e-bike ever again.”