KATHMANDU: An electric scooter caught fire while in motion in Ratnapark of Kathmandu on Wednesday morning.
The ePluto 7G model produced by Indian electric two-wheeler maker Pure Electric caught fire on the busy streets near the office of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
According to Deepak Giri, the spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police, the scooter with registration ‘Bagmati Province 02-019 Pa 6246’ burst into flames at around 9:45 am.
Although no human casualties have been reported, the scooter was completely destroyed in the fire. The cause of the incident is still unknown, police say.
The incident caused a brief traffic jam in the Ratnapark area as vehicles slowed to avoid the burning scooter.
White Lotus Pvt Ltd is the authorized distributor of Pure Electric in the Nepali market. Although the ePluto 7G model enjoyed decent sales initially, imports have dwindled in recent years. The company imported one unit in the last fiscal year, and none in the current fiscal year.
There have also been complaints about the company’s lack of after-sales service and failure to honor its warranty commitments from consumers.
The ePluto 7G has faced technical issues in India as well. The scooter has been linked to over half a dozen fire incidents in India.