Why Did The Mahindra BE6 Catch Fire? Reason Revealed
Yesterday, a Mahindra BE 6 electric SUV caught fire on the road, which became a huge headline. Now, at the time of the fire, the exact details of how it was caused were not revealed. However, Mahindra Automotive has now put out a statement in which it has highlighted the main reason why this particular Mahindra BE 6 caught fire. And the reason, along with the result, will surely surprise you.
For those who may not be following the incident, yesterday a Mahindra BE 6 electric SUV went up in flames near Gulaothi/Kurana Toll Plaza, Hapur district, Uttar Pradesh. The driver, Aman Kharbanda, along with a few other occupants, was travelling from Bulandshahr to Hapur when the vehicle suddenly began emitting smoke, after which a large fire erupted.
According to Mahindra Automotive and the thorough on-site investigation of this particular BE 6 electric SUV, along with the onboard sensor data and software diagnostics, it has been confirmed that the fire took place because the rear right tyre of this vehicle was fully deflated. Despite the repeated warnings on the digital instrument gauge cluster, the vehicle was driven for over 10 minutes at a speed of 60 kmph.
The findings also showed that the onboard sensors logged that the ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and TCS (Traction Control System) were constantly intervening to control the wheel spin. However, the continuous wheel slip on a deflated tyre causes excessive friction and rapid heat build-up.
Also, the rear right wheel high-temperature alert appeared. The company added that other protective safety measures on this vehicle were also triggered. These include limitation of vehicle speed and later system shutdown to safely bring the moving vehicle to a halt.
In addition to this main finding, it has also been reported by Mahindra Automotive that the high-voltage battery pack has remained unharmed and fully functional. Additionally, the battery health parameters and individual cell voltages are also within the specified limits, and the motor is intact. The company added that the analysis of bystander video footage confirms that the fire originated from the rear right tyre rubber.
Mahindra Automotive has concluded its statement by stating, “All Mahindra vehicles are designed and built to the highest quality and safety standards.” It added, “We urge customers to always heed vehicle alerts and warnings, which are critical to ensuring safe operation. Customer safety remains our highest priority.”
A number of people might be wondering why this particular Mahindra BE 6 electric SUV’s battery did not catch on fire. Well, the answer to this is that the BE 6 battery pack has been designed to withstand extremely high temperatures. The vehicle follows automatic isolation protocols and emergency shutdown systems. Due to this, despite the fire, the battery pack remains operational, and there was no thermal propagation.
This particular case is a direct result of negligence by the driver. If the driver had paid attention to the vehicle's digital instrument gauge cluster, where all the warnings were being displayed, and the vehicle was stopped on time, it would not have resulted in the vehicle catching fire. Generally, a lot of Indian drivers ignore warning lights on the dashboard. However, this ignorance, on a lot of occasions, causes a massive hole in the wallet.