Aftermarket Alloys On An Electric Car Is A BAD Idea: We Explain
A lot of automotive enthusiasts in India love to modify their cars, and the most common mod done is the change of alloy wheels. Now, changing alloy wheels on any normal car is not a big deal. However, changing alloy wheels of an electric car, especially one from Mahindra, is something which is not recommended. Recently, a few images of a Mahindra BE 6 with a set of Lenso aftermarket alloy wheels have been shared online.
These images of the Mahindra BE 6 with aftermarket alloy wheels have been shared on Instagram by Emperor Car Essentials Kochi on their page. We can note that this particular Mahindra BE 6 has been fitted with 18-inch Lenso Venom V3N Litetech+ alloy wheels. Now, although the light grey color looks good with the dark body color of the BE 6, the chunky tyre wall is not very appealing.
As mentioned above, changing alloy wheels on any other vehicle is not a big issue. However, Mahindra Automotive, during the launch and on one other occasion, has highlighted that the alloy wheels and tyres offered with the BE 6 and XEV 9E have been specifically designed for them. We shared a video on the same topic on our Instagram page.
Mahindra has given the BE 6 and XEV 9E reinforced alloy wheels. For those who may not understand, in simple terms, these alloy wheels have been made a lot stronger to withstand the heavy weight of electric vehicles. In addition to these, as shown in the video above, the wheel bearings of Mahindra EVs have also been specially designed for them.
These bearings ensure that there is no offset. So if wrong aftermarket alloy wheels are added to Mahindra EVs, they increase load on wheel bearings, which can cause premature wear, create alignment and safety issues, and also affect suspension geometry and stability. So it is recommended to not change alloy wheels on Mahindra EVs.
In addition to reinforced alloy wheels and special bearings, Mahindra Automotive, along with the popular tyre brand Goodyear, have designed special tyres for these EVs. These tyres have a foam layer inside them, which primarily reduces tyre noise and enhances cabin refinement.
Additionally, it has been highlighted by the company that using any other company’s tyres will increase the rolling resistance of the wheels and reduce the range of the Mahindra EVs by 5 percent. A set of Mahindra BE 6 tyres from Goodyear costs around Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh, and they need to be replaced after 30,000–40,000 km depending upon driving habits.
Apart from the above-mentioned reasons, one of the biggest reasons to avoid adding aftermarket alloy wheels or tyres on Mahindra EVs is due to the warranty. Mahindra can void the warranty if the alloy wheels of its EVs are changed, and if in case anything unfortunate takes place due to the quality of the wheels changed, the vehicle might not be eligible for any compensation from the brand.
Also, the quality of aftermarket alloy wheels sold in India (unless very sure about the brand and build quality) is cheaply made. So there is a high chance that such alloy wheels will not be able to withstand the weight of the Mahindra EVs and can cause catastrophic accidents.