E-scooter fires in India trigger safety concerns, in setback for Modi push

By Aditi Shah
FILE PHOTO A man checks his mobile phone as he waits while recharging his Ola electric scooter at an electric vehicle charging station in New Delhi India February 12 2022. REUTERSAditi ShahFile Photo

FILE PHOTO: A man checks his mobile phone as he waits while recharging his Ola electric scooter at an electric vehicle charging station in New Delhi, India, February 12, 2022. REUTERS/Aditi Shah/File Photo

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A spate of electric scooters catching fire in India, including one made by SoftBank-backed Ola Electric, is sparking safety concerns among some buyers, in an early setback for a nascent sector Prime Minister Narendra Modi is bullish about.

India wants electric scooters and motorbikes to make up 80% of total two-wheeler sales by 2030, from about 2% today, and Modi's administration is offering companies billions of dollars in incentives to locally manufacture electric vehicles (EVs.)

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