The Government of Maharashtra has issued a SOP for electric vehicle charging stations to mitigate the risk of fires

EV charging stations to now be installed in open areas to minimise risk of fire spread

Electric two-wheeler owners are now barred from bringing their vehicles inside their flats for charging

Prominent notices at each charging point indicating if it is suitable for AC or DC charging

Charging points to be installed in open air at the roof deck level in multi-storey parking lots

Charging points shall be within 5 metres from parked vehicles to prevent stretching of charging cables and at least 80cm above ground level

It also prohibits parking of other vehicles in EV charging areas

EVs should not be charged within a radius of 10m of any combustible material, or a radius of 15m within hazardous installations such as transformers, flammable liquid storage tanks and LPG tanks

This SOP will go a long way to mitigate the risk of fires, especially considering the fluctuations and sub-standard charging outlets prevalent across the country