Mahindra pins BE 6 electric SUV fire on continued driving despite deflated tyre, rules out battery fault

The BE 6 is Mahindra's ground-up mid-size electric SUV.

• Mahindra: BE 6 SUV fire caused by deflated tire, not battery.
• Safety systems worked; occupants exited safely; battery unaffected.
• Company's analysis confirms fire originated from tyre, not electric powertrain.

Did our AI summary help?

Mahindra has attributed the recent fire involving its BE 6 electric SUV near Gulaothi (Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh) to prolonged driving on a fully deflated tyre despite multiple vehicle alerts, ruling out any failure in the high-voltage battery or electric motor.

In an official statement following an on-site technical investigation, the company said onboard sensor data, software diagnostics, and video analysis confirm that the fire did not originate from the electric powertrain. Instead, Mahindra observed the root cause was excessive heat generated from a deflated rear-right tyre that continued to run at highway speeds.

According to the company, vehicle telemetry shows the electric SUV was driven for more than 10 minutes at approximately 60kmph on a fully deflated rear-right tyre, even after repeated tyre-pressure and high-temperature warnings were issued. The sustained driving caused extreme friction between the tyre rubber and the road surface, leading to overheating and ignition.

Mahindra added that onboard safety systems operated as designed throughout the incident. The company said electronic stability control and traction control actively intervened to manage wheel spin from the damaged tyre, while a tyre high-temperature alert triggered protective measures, including speed limitation and an eventual system shutdown that safely brought the vehicle to a halt.

Despite the intense external heat exposure, Mahindra said the high-voltage battery pack remained intact and fully functional, with battery health parameters and individual cell voltages found to be within specified limits. The electric motor was also confirmed to be unaffected.

"All safety systems worked as designed. The driver and all occupants exited the vehicle safely and are unharmed," the company said, maintaining that the incident did not escalate into a battery thermal runaway or electrical failure, a common concern in EV-related fire cases.

Mahindra also said its analysis of bystander video footage supports its conclusion that the fire originated from burning tyre rubber, not from the battery pack or any electrical component.

The incident had earlier triggered widespread attention on social media, with speculation around electric vehicle (EV) battery safety. Mahindra's findings seek to counter that narrative by reframing the event as a case of tyre failure compounded by continued driving under unsafe conditions, rather than an inherent EV risk.

The BE 6 is Mahindra's ground-up mid-size electric SUV, and rivals the likes of the Hyundai Creta Electric, Tata Curvv.ev, MG ZS EV and VinFast VF6. It is priced between Rs 18.90 lakh and Rs 27.65 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Mahindra BE 6 is offered with two battery pack options -- 59kWh (170kW pf max power and 380Nm of peak torque) and 79kWh (210kW of max power and 380Nm of peak torque). The MIDC range is claimed to be 557km to 683km on a single full charge, depending on the variant.