In one of the first reported fire incidents involving the Mahindra BE 6 electric vehicle, a car caught fire in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur district. According to reports, the EV, bearing registration number UP 13U 7555, was travelling on a highway when it was engulfed in flames.
As per reports, the vehicle’s owner, Aman Kharbanda, was travelling from Bulandshahr towards Hapur when smoke began emanating from the car near the Kurana Toll Plaza. Within moments, the smoke turned into flames, resulting in a massive blaze that engulfed the vehicle.
A Mahindra spokesperson said an analysis of the vehicle’s sensor data and software diagnostics indicated 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 were unharmed after receiving 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,” the spokesperson said.
“Leveraging the on-board sensors and associated software diagnostics, we are able to conclude that the EV battery was not the cause of the incident. Initial physical inspection of the vehicle corroborates this. We have launched a detailed investigation to understand the cause of the incident. Prima facie, the data indicates sustained and simultaneous use of the accelerator and brake pedals, causing the rear right wheel to slip repeatedly,” the spokesperson added.
Upon receiving information, police from the Hafizpur station rushed to the spot and alerted the fire department, according to a Dainik Bhaskar report. Firefighters faced significant difficulty before bringing the blaze under control. Traffic on the highway was disrupted for some time due to the incident, the report said.
Images of the red Mahindra BE 6 electric SUV engulfed in flames have since gone viral on social media platform X, with users raising concerns about the reliability and safety of battery-powered vehicles.
Mahindra BE 6 and Mahindra XEV 9e are among the top-selling electric vehicles from the homegrown automaker. According to data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), Mahindra & Mahindra sold 33,513 electric passenger vehicles last year. Notably, electric car fires remain relatively rare in India compared with battery explosion incidents involving electric two-wheelers.