Ola Electric S1 Pro 'Explodes' In Owner's Garage While Charging Overnight: Burns Down Parked Tata Sumo [Video]
Imagine you are in deep sleep at night, and suddenly your neighbours start banging on your door to wake you up because of a fire in your garage. You'll be extremely terrified and shocked, right? Well, this is exactly what recently happened with an Ola Electric S1 Pro electric scooter owner from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. As per the owner, his Ola Electric scooter, which was parked next to his Tata Sumo Gold, blasted and burned down completely. It also managed to burn the interior of his SUV and other stuff in the garage.
The videos and photos showing the aftermath of this particular Ola Electric scooter burning down have been shared on X by MD Neyaz Ansari, a resident of B1, Prem Nagar, Tapin North RRW, Charhi, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. In his direct communication with us, the owner explained the entire incident, which took place on June 13th around 4–4:30 AM.
What exactly happened?
In his message, Ansari stated that he and family members were sleeping on June 13th during the early hours of the day. They were then woken up by the loud noise of their neighbours knocking on their doors and loudly shouting “Aag” – fire. Soon after, Ansari, along with his family, went to the room where his Ola Electric S1 Pro was parked.
Soon after this, he highlighted that he witnessed extremely thick black smoke coming from the room. Also, the heat from this room was unbearable, and he saw visible flames which engulfed his Ola Electric scooter as well as his Tata Sumo Gold SUV, which was parked just next to his scooter.
Battery 'kept on exploding'
The owner stated he saw the individual battery cells of his scooter explode one after another with loud gunshot-like sounds and bright blue flashes. He highlighted that these explosions resembled bullets being fired. Ansari added that he was standing in front of the gate, but the smoke was severely irritating his throat, which made breathing difficult.
Apart from this, he also mentioned that he tried to save his Tata Sumo Gold from this fire caused by the Ola Electric scooter. However, he was disoriented due to the heavy smoke and heat and could not respond effectively. Soon after, his Tata Sumo Gold, parked beside the scooter, caught fire due to the intense heat.
The entire interior of the Sumo, including the seats, dashboard, and plastic components, was destroyed by the fire. Ansari also mentioned that the various household items which were stored in the room were also burnt or damaged beyond repair.
Bought this vehicle with hard-earned stipend
In his message explaining the situation, Md Neyaz Ansari highlighted that this loss of the Ola Electric S1 Pro is especially more painful for him as he bought it with his hard-earned money. He stated, “The Ola S1 Pro was my first personal vehicle, purchased from the stipend I earned during my internship. It symbolized independence and achievement. Watching it burn before my eyes, powerless to do anything, was heartbreaking.”
He concluded by stating that although this loss was very significant for him, he wants to make sure that others do not have to suffer the same. Ansari has urged that electric vehicles should not be parked or charged in enclosed or residential spaces where there’s no easy escape in case of fire.
No Ola’s statement yet
At the moment, no official statement from Ola Electric regarding this incident has been shared. Most likely, the company will launch an investigation and find out the cause behind this fire, which caused such extensive damage.
Not the first Ola Electric fire incident
The above incident is not the first incident in which an Ola Electric scooter burned down and destroyed a home. Back in February last year, an Ola Electric scooter which was being charged caught fire and burned down a two-storey house. In addition to this it also burned down other vehicles at the home and injured several people as well.
Prior to that in December 2023, another Ola Electric scooter burned down a furniture store as well. Apart from these there have been instances where Ola Electric scooters have burned during test rides, being parked in open spaces and even in dealerships.
Never park and charge EVs inside a closed space
Recently another tragic incident took place in Incheon, South Korea which damaged an underground parking lot and led to the hospitalization of residents due to smoke inhalation. What happenede was that a Mercedes-Benz EQE electric sedan, parked in an underground parking lot for three days and not charging, caught fire and exploded. It caused significant damage and prompting the evacuation of over 200 residents.