New Delhi: The central government has warned electric scooter companies to pay back the money they took from customers for off-board chargers. The government said that Ola Electric, Ather Energy, TVS Motors, and Hero MotoCorp have to pay Rs 278 crore to about 2 lakh customers by the end of November 2023. If they do not pay, they will face action.
The government found out that the companies had charged extra money for the chargers, which should have been included in the price of the electric scooters. The customers complained about this and the government stopped the subsidy for the companies in February. The subsidy is given to encourage electric vehicles under the Fame 2 program, which will end in March 2024.
The companies admitted their mistake in April and promised to return the money to the customers. But they have paid only Rs 10 crore till 15 August, out of Rs 288 crore. The government said that they have to pay the remaining Rs 278 crore soon, or they will lose the subsidy and other benefits under Fame 2.
