: has been ordered to refund Rs 130 crores to 1 lakh customers who opted to purchase the off-board electric charger when buying the electric scooters. This announcement came following an investigation conducted by government agency which revealed that the company has been selling the on-board chargers at an additional pricing which is a clear violation of FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) scheme guidelines.
In a letter to the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), the company made the declaration after coming under a probe conducted by the Ministry of Heavy Industries for overpricing.
Chargers as accessories?
Ola Electric previously sold off-board chargers as accessories for its S1 Pro electric scooters, a clear violation of FAME scheme, ranging from Rs 9,000 to Rs 19,000, to 1 lakh customers that were overcharged.
As part of the FAME scheme, charger and proprietary software cannot be sold by the companies at an additional cost (over and above the vehicle’s cost) in a bit to limit the pricing of EVs to boost the electric vehicle ecosystem in India.
“Will do whatever the government asks..”
Ola Electric Founder and CEO Bhavish Agarwal told CNBC TV18 that Ola Electric will do whatever the government asks them to do.
The government has been tightening noose around EV makers in India after whistleblower complaints suggested electric vehicle manufacturers have been manipulating the government guidelines in a bid to gain the government subsidies. The complaints suggested that OEMS have been pricing their models over and above the specified limits and shouldn’t qualify for the government subsidies. After these complaints, companies such as Hero Electric, Ather Energy and Ola Electric, have come under the government’s scanner.
