In what would be a first for a major city in the world, Parisians will vote on Sunday whether to ban electric scooters for rent from the city's streets.&nbsp;

Paris was one of the first cities to use the vehicles that can be rented using an app like Lime, Dott, or Tier and are popular among young people as an alternative to public transportation for short distances, as reported by AFP.&nbsp;

"Symbolically the vote is very important," said Erwann Le Page, public affairs director at Tier, a Berlin-based operator,&nbsp;who spoke to AFP.&nbsp;"It's a city that has been a pioneer," he said.&nbsp;

City authorities have gradually toughened rules following the scooters' chaotic rollout in 2018, designating parking areas, capping maximum speeds, and limiting the number of operators.&nbsp;

Yet, their presence is still controversial. Pedestrians complain about careless driving, and a string of deadly incidents has brought attention to the risks associated with vehicles that can currently be rented by kids as young as 12.&nbsp;

In January, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo proposed a poll to decide whether or not for-hire scooters should be permitted after facing criticism for violating traffic regulations in the city.

In an interview with AFP on Thursday, the pro-cycling Socialist, who favours a ban, referred to them as a "source of worry" in Parisians' daily life.

Residents of Paris have been asked to cast their votes on Sunday, but in order to do so, they must be on the voter lists and physically travel to one of the 21 polling places spread out over the city.&nbsp;

Clement Beaune, the transport minister, expects a ban, and several operators discreetly worry about a bad outcome if their primarily young user base does not vote.

"It's an important consultation that will be watched by a lot of other towns in France and overseas," Beaune told the Europe 1 radio station on Wednesday. "I find it a shame that we have caricatured and dumbed down the debate.

"Instead of having it as 'for' or 'against', we could do 'for, with rules'," he added.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

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In what would be a first for a major city in the world, Parisians will vote on Sunday whether to ban electric scooters for rent from the city's streets. Paris was one of the first cities to use the vehicles that can be rented using an app like Lime, Dott, or Tier and are popular among young people as an alternative to public transportation for short distances, as reported by AFP.

In what would be a first for a major city in the world, Parisians will vote on Sunday whether to ban electric scooters for rent from the city's streets. Paris was one of the first cities to use the vehicles that can be rented using an app like Lime, Dott, or Tier and are popular among young people as an alternative to public transportation for short distances, as reported by AFP. "Symbolically the vote is very important," said Erwann Le Page, public affairs director at Tier, a Berlin-based operator, who spoke to AFP. "It's a city that has been a pioneer," he said. City authorities have gradually toughened rules following the scooters' chaotic rollout in 2018, designating parking areas, capping maximum speeds, and limiting the number of operators. Yet, their presence is still controversial. Pedestrians complain about careless driving, and a string of deadly incidents has brought attention to the risks associated with vehicles that can currently be rented by kids as young as 12. In January, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo proposed a poll to decide whether or not for-hire scooters should be permitted after facing criticism for violating traffic regulations in the city. In an interview with AFP on Thursday, the pro-cycling Socialist, who favours a ban, referred to them as a "source of worry" in Parisians' daily life. Residents of Paris have been asked to cast their votes on Sunday, but in order to do so, they must be on the voter lists and physically travel to one of the 21 polling places spread out over the city. Clement Beaune, the transport minister, expects a ban, and several operators discreetly worry about a bad outcome if their primarily young user base does not vote. "It's an important consultation that will be watched by a lot of other towns in France and overseas," Beaune told the Europe 1 radio station on Wednesday. "I find it a shame that we have caricatured and dumbed down the debate. "Instead of having it as 'for' or 'against', we could do 'for, with rules'," he added. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

What would be the fate of e-scooters in Paris? Residents to decide in vote on Sunday

At a time when concerns are being raised in India over the safety record of electric scooters amid countless instances of vehicles catching fire, an indigenous solution is in the works. This gets to the root of the issue and is an attempt to replace the Lithium-ion batteries (which power contemporary EVs) with made-in-India Zinc-air batteries, which have considerable advantages over the former.

WION spoke to Dr Aravind Kumar Chandiran, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, whose team is behind this Zinc-air battery prototype.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/explained-what-causes-sudden-fires-in-electric-vehicles-and-how-it-can-be-prevented-467317">https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/explained-what-causes-sudden-fires-in-electric-vehicles-and-how-it-can-be-prevented-467317</a>

According to him, when compared to Lithium-ion batteries, the Zinc-air batteries are more environmentally friendly, costs less, provide similar mileage as Li-ion batteries, are easier to manufacture and maintain and can easily be mass-produced in India, given how the country has abundant resources of Zinc.

"Zinc is actually a nutrient found in our food and is safer when compared to lithium. In Zinc-air batteries one electrode is zinc and another is oxygen (derived from the air) and this setup sits in an aqueous electrolyte. This makes it water-based and hence can fully prevent any possibility of fire. The worst-case scenario in case of a failure or malfunction is that the battery won't deliver power" he explained.

While Lithium-ion batteries have to be swapped (discharged battery replaced with a fully charged one), Zinc-air ones don't need a total replacement. Only a small component of the battery, such as its 'Zinc cassette' (anode) has to be replaced. In layman's terms, the Zinc cassette replacement can be compared to how a memory card is removed and replaced from a gadget.

However, it has to be performed at dedicated Zinc cassette replacement facilities or charging stations(similar to fuel stations or EV charging stations). This process is also said to be sustainable, as the spent Zinc oxide cassette can be removed and converted back to Zinc. The process of replacing the Zinc cassette could safely be carried out at home by a layperson, with basic training on the procedure.

With Lithium-ion batteries used in Electric vehicles and other devices majorly being imported from China, the Researchers from IIT-M feel that further work on Zinc-air batteries can provide a home-grown solution for India. India being home to large Zinc reserves also helps accelerate the large-scale manufacturing of such batteries, it is said. The team is also in talks with automobile OEMs to integrate these new-age batteries into the vehicles, in about a year's time.

Queried about the power holding capacity of their batteries, Dr Chandiran said, "We have built batteries that can store up to 1.3-2.6Kilo Watt Hour(KWh) and this is sufficient as most E-scooters use 2KWh batteries. The Zinc-air batteries that we have developed are far simpler to manufacture and the process can be done even in a normal room with ambient conditions and standard machines. This is in contrast to Li-ion batteries that require special ultradry conditions and high pure chemicals at the manufacturing facility.

However, there is one technical aspect where these Zinc-ion batteries fall significantly behind their Lithium-ion counterparts. "Such batteries can only be used in two or three-wheelers and not cars, as cars require high power and these batteries can't cater to that need. Simply put, these Zinc-air batteries are capable of storing high amounts of energy(on par with Li-ion ones), but cannot deliver power as rapidly as Li-ion" Dr Chandiran explained.

At a time when concerns are being raised in India over the safety record of electric scooters amid countless instances of vehicles catching fire, an indigenous solution is in the works.

At a time when concerns are being raised in India over the safety record of electric scooters amid countless instances of vehicles catching fire, an indigenous solution is in the works. This gets to the root of the issue and is an attempt to replace the Lithium-ion batteries (which power contemporary EVs) with made-in-India Zinc-air batteries, which have considerable advantages over the former. WION spoke to Dr Aravind Kumar Chandiran, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, whose team is behind this Zinc-air battery prototype. https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/explained-what-causes-sudden-fires-in-electric-vehicles-and-how-it-can-be-prevented-467317 According to him, when compared to Lithium-ion batteries, the Zinc-air batteries are more environmentally friendly, costs less, provide similar mileage as Li-ion batteries, are easier to manufacture and maintain and can easily be mass-produced in India, given how the country has abundant resources of Zinc. "Zinc is actually a nutrient found in our food and is safer when compared to lithium. In Zinc-air batteries one electrode is zinc and another is oxygen (derived from the air) and this setup sits in an aqueous electrolyte. This makes it water-based and hence can fully prevent any possibility of fire. The worst-case scenario in case of a failure or malfunction is that the battery won't deliver power" he explained. While Lithium-ion batteries have to be swapped (discharged battery replaced with a fully charged one), Zinc-air ones don't need a total replacement. Only a small component of the battery, such as its 'Zinc cassette' (anode) has to be replaced. In layman's terms, the Zinc cassette replacement can be compared to how a memory card is removed and replaced from a gadget. However, it has to be performed at dedicated Zinc cassette replacement facilities or charging stations(similar to fuel stations or EV charging stations). This process is also said to be sustainable, as the spent Zinc oxide cassette can be removed and converted back to Zinc. The process of replacing the Zinc cassette could safely be carried out at home by a layperson, with basic training on the procedure. With Lithium-ion batteries used in Electric vehicles and other devices majorly being imported from China, the Researchers from IIT-M feel that further work on Zinc-air batteries can provide a home-grown solution for India. India being home to large Zinc reserves also helps accelerate the large-scale manufacturing of such batteries, it is said. The team is also in talks with automobile OEMs to integrate these new-age batteries into the vehicles, in about a year's time. Queried about the power holding capacity of their batteries, Dr Chandiran said, "We have built batteries that can store up to 1.3-2.6Kilo Watt Hour(KWh) and this is sufficient as most E-scooters use 2KWh batteries. The Zinc-air batteries that we have developed are far simpler to manufacture and the process can be done even in a normal room with ambient conditions and standard machines. This is in contrast to Li-ion batteries that require special ultradry conditions and high pure chemicals at the manufacturing facility. However, there is one technical aspect where these Zinc-ion batteries fall significantly behind their Lithium-ion counterparts. "Such batteries can only be used in two or three-wheelers and not cars, as cars require high power and these batteries can't cater to that need. Simply put, these Zinc-air batteries are capable of storing high amounts of energy(on par with Li-ion ones), but cannot deliver power as rapidly as Li-ion" Dr Chandiran explained.

India: IIT-M team develops Zinc-air batteries that could power E-scooters, without risk of fire

Having faced numerous performance issues and technical snags with his three-month-old electric scooter, a man hailing from southern Tamil Nadu state set his vehicle worth Rs 1.5 lakh (US $2,000) on fire.

G Prithviraj, a physiotherapist from Ambur, took the extreme step after a harrowing experience with the company and its customer service.

WION spoke to Prithviraj to understand the turn of events that led him to empty two litres of petrol from his electric scooter and set it ablaze.

He reasoned that didn't want those from economically weaker sections to have high hopes and invest in an EV scooter, only to be cheated by poor performance and customer service issues.

Prithviraj had purchased an Ola Electric Scooter in January 2022, and got it delivered to his hometown Ambur.

By the end of January, he had logged complaints after finding improper panel fittings, noise emanating from plastic panels and doors, and serious issues with the brakes.

Moreover, Prithviraj claimed that the bike was barely performing to 1/3rd of its claimed mileage on a single charge.

"The Ola Electric S1 model that I use has a claimed mileage of 181kms on a single charge. However, after getting it fully charged, the bike display shows that it can travel 134kms, but it barely runs for 60kms. Many times I have been stranded mid-way because the bike ran out of charge barely after 60kms," he added.

Prithviraj continued to face these problems even after getting the vehicle serviced by the company.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Thread?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Thread</a> : 
Frustrated with technical&amp; performance issues with his 3-month-old <a href="https://twitter.com/OlaElectric?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OlaElectric</a> Scooter, <a href="https://twitter.com/PrithvR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrithvR</a> set it ablaze, has no regrets 
 
He tells me: Vehicle claims range of 181kms; on screen it shows 134km, but barely performs 60kms. 
This is after multiple service visits + <a href="https://t.co/VFjdY7dF7G">pic.twitter.com/VFjdY7dF7G</a>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1519216781315158016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Despite having purchased the vehicle in January, the EV company hadn't facilitated the vehicle registration, Prithviraj said.

However, on his persuasion, the EV company made arrangements for vehicle registration but did so in a neighbouring town, which is over 50kms away from the vehicle owner's residence.

"There is a Regional Transport Office (RTO) in my hometown in Ambur, where the vehicle can be registered. But Ola Electric arranged for the registration in Gudiyatham town, for which I will have to 100kms on a round trip," he adds.

On Tuesday, Prithviraj rode his EV to reach the registration office, but he was turned away by officials citing that vehicle will be registered in a different town.

As Prithviraj, frustrated with the bureaucrat’s response, was riding back home, his vehicle stopped again due to low charge.

"When I was on the way back from the registration office, the vehicle showed a range of nearly 57kms. However, after driving around 5-6kms the vehicle came to an abrupt halt and went into parking mode and the range dropped to zero.”

“I sent videos of my ordeal to Ola Electric Customer Care and shared my grievances via E-mail and Twitter as well. I started reaching out to them around 10 am and eventually they agreed to pick up my vehicle from the spot where it was stranded, around 5.30 pm. It was embarrassing and frustrating as I was stranded in the afternoon heat. When I offered to leave the bike at a safe location and leave, they did not permit me to do so," he adds.

Having run out of options, Prithviraj asked his friends to pick him up from the spot and also bring along two litres of petrol.

Based on the video recording of the incident, Prithviraj set ablaze his scooter despite being urged not to do it.

On Tuesday evening, representatives from the EV company visited Prithviraj to explain and apologize. However, he refused to relent and raised several questions at the company, to which the executives are said to have not responded.

"As a physiotherapist in this town, I am well-known among the people and have to travel to various places to take care of my patients. I purchased the vehicle with the hope that it would satisfy my daily commute. I am not only frustrated with my experience over the last three&nbsp;months, but also want to warn the working class and delivery boys against buying this vehicle. Hence, I chose to set it ablaze (with no regrets) and send a message of protest to Ola Electric," he said.

Having faced numerous performance issues and technical snags with his three-month-old electric scooter, a man hailing from southern Tamil Nadu state set his vehicle worth Rs 1.

Having faced numerous performance issues and technical snags with his three-month-old electric scooter, a man hailing from southern Tamil Nadu state set his vehicle worth Rs 1.5 lakh (US $2,000) on fire. G Prithviraj, a physiotherapist from Ambur, took the extreme step after a harrowing experience with the company and its customer service. WION spoke to Prithviraj to understand the turn of events that led him to empty two litres of petrol from his electric scooter and set it ablaze. He reasoned that didn't want those from economically weaker sections to have high hopes and invest in an EV scooter, only to be cheated by poor performance and customer service issues. Prithviraj had purchased an Ola Electric Scooter in January 2022, and got it delivered to his hometown Ambur. By the end of January, he had logged complaints after finding improper panel fittings, noise emanating from plastic panels and doors, and serious issues with the brakes. Moreover, Prithviraj claimed that the bike was barely performing to 1/3rd of its claimed mileage on a single charge. "The Ola Electric S1 model that I use has a claimed mileage of 181kms on a single charge. However, after getting it fully charged, the bike display shows that it can travel 134kms, but it barely runs for 60kms. Many times I have been stranded mid-way because the bike ran out of charge barely after 60kms," he added. Prithviraj continued to face these problems even after getting the vehicle serviced by the company. #Thread : Frustrated with technical& performance issues with his 3-month-old @OlaElectric Scooter, @PrithvR set it ablaze, has no regrets He tells me: Vehicle claims range of 181kms; on screen it shows 134km, but barely performs 60kms. This is after multiple service visits + pic.twitter.com/VFjdY7dF7G — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) April 27, 2022 × Despite having purchased the vehicle in January, the EV company hadn't facilitated the vehicle registration, Prithviraj said. However, on his persuasion, the EV company made arrangements for vehicle registration but did so in a neighbouring town, which is over 50kms away from the vehicle owner's residence. "There is a Regional Transport Office (RTO) in my hometown in Ambur, where the vehicle can be registered. But Ola Electric arranged for the registration in Gudiyatham town, for which I will have to 100kms on a round trip," he adds. On Tuesday, Prithviraj rode his EV to reach the registration office, but he was turned away by officials citing that vehicle will be registered in a different town. As Prithviraj, frustrated with the bureaucrat’s response, was riding back home, his vehicle stopped again due to low charge. "When I was on the way back from the registration office, the vehicle showed a range of nearly 57kms. However, after driving around 5-6kms the vehicle came to an abrupt halt and went into parking mode and the range dropped to zero.” “I sent videos of my ordeal to Ola Electric Customer Care and shared my grievances via E-mail and Twitter as well. I started reaching out to them around 10 am and eventually they agreed to pick up my vehicle from the spot where it was stranded, around 5.30 pm. It was embarrassing and frustrating as I was stranded in the afternoon heat. When I offered to leave the bike at a safe location and leave, they did not permit me to do so," he adds. Having run out of options, Prithviraj asked his friends to pick him up from the spot and also bring along two litres of petrol. Based on the video recording of the incident, Prithviraj set ablaze his scooter despite being urged not to do it. On Tuesday evening, representatives from the EV company visited Prithviraj to explain and apologize. However, he refused to relent and raised several questions at the company, to which the executives are said to have not responded. "As a physiotherapist in this town, I am well-known among the people and have to travel to various places to take care of my patients. I purchased the vehicle with the hope that it would satisfy my daily commute. I am not only frustrated with my experience over the last three months, but also want to warn the working class and delivery boys against buying this vehicle. Hence, I chose to set it ablaze (with no regrets) and send a message of protest to Ola Electric," he said.

India: Irate over repeated snags, man sets his e-scooter on fire

Cities around the world introduce e-scooter regulations. Watch this video to know more.

Cities around the world introduce e-scooter regulations