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

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.)