Editorial | Nepal fell in love with EVs. It forgot to regulate them
Summary
A fatal electric car fire in Bharatpur has exposed Nepal’s lack of EV safety regulation and testing standards. The editorial calls for mandatory type approval, charger scrutiny, and firefighter training to protect the country’s fast-growing electric transport sector.
Key Points
- A 55-year-old former school director died inside a burning electric car in Bharatpur, prompting concern over EV safety in Nepal.
- Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire, and experts caution against drawing broad conclusions from a single incident.
- The editorial says Nepal lacks dedicated mechanisms to test imported EVs against international safety benchmarks such as UN Regulation 100.
- It urges Nepal to require safety certification for EVs, chargers and cables, and to train firefighters and owners for battery emergencies.
