In one of the first reported fire accidents involving the Mahindra BE 6 electric vehicle, a car went up in flames in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur district. According to reports, the EV bore registration number UP 13U 7555 and was engulfed in fire while travelling on the highway.
As per reports, Aman Kharbanda was travelling from Bulandshahr towards Hapur in his electric car. As soon as he reached the Kurana Toll Plaza, smoke began emanating from the vehicle. Within moments, the smoke turned into flames, engulfing the car in a massive blaze.
A Mahindra spokesperson said vehicle sensor and software diagnostic data conclude that the EV battery was not the cause of the incident.
“We are aware of the recent incident involving the Mahindra BE 6 vehicle near Gulaothi (UP). The driver and all occupants exited safely and are unharmed after they received a tyre high temperature alert. The alert led to the vehicle's speed being limited and the system shutting down , bringing the vehicle to a halt,” said the spokesperson.
“Leveraging the on-board sensors and associated software diagnostics, we are able to conclude the EV battery was not the cause of the incident. Initial physical inspection of the vehicle corroborates the same. We have launched a detailed investigation to understand the cause of the incident. Prima facie, the data indicates sustained and simultaneous use of accelerator and brake pedal causing the rear right wheel to slip repeatedly,” added the spokesperson.
Upon receiving information about the incident, police from Hafizpur station rushed to the spot and promptly called the fire tenders, stated a Dainik Bhaskar report. Firefighters struggled intensely before bringing the blaze under control. Traffic on the highway was disrupted for some time during the event, added the report.
Pictures of the red Mahindra BE 6 electric SUV engulfed in flames are circulating widely on the social media platform X, with users questioning the reliability and safety of battery-powered vehicles. Mahindra BE 6 and Mahindra XEV 9e are among the two top-selling EVs from the homegrown auto major. According to data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), Mahindra & Mahindra sold 33,513 electric passenger vehicles last year. Electric car fires remain less common in India compared to frequent battery explosions in electric two-wheelers.