A viral video showing an e-rickshaw driver pushing his vehicle for kilometres has once again put the spotlight on the alleged misuse of a battery management app that has become the centre of a growing online trend. The clip has sparked fresh concern over how a tool designed for battery maintenance is allegedly being used to target drivers on the road.
Shared on X by user Dilip Rana, the video shows an e-rickshaw driver stranded after his vehicle suddenly stopped working. The incident is one of several similar cases that have surfaced in recent days, raising questions about how easily certain battery-powered vehicles can be remotely disabled.
Driver left stranded after e-rickshaw stops
The video begins with a man approaching an e-rickshaw driver who is seen pushing his vehicle along the roadside.
When asked what had happened, the visibly exhausted driver explains that his e-rickshaw had suddenly stopped working.
The man then asks whether someone had switched off the battery using a mobile phone. The driver replies that they had.
According to the driver, he had already pushed the e-rickshaw for more than three kilometres after it unexpectedly lost power.
The man filming the video then opens the BAT-BMS app on his phone, connects it to the e-rickshaw's battery management system and switches the battery back on.
Within moments, the vehicle starts working again. Relieved, the driver folds his hands and thanks the man for helping him.
According to the caption accompanying the viral video, the driver lost an entire day's earnings after someone allegedly disabled his e-rickshaw using the app. The post also claimed that some social media creators have been carrying out such pranks to generate online content at the expense of drivers.
Watch the video here:
What's happening
BAT-BMS is a Battery Management System app designed to monitor compatible Bluetooth-enabled lithium batteries. It also allows users to remotely control charging and discharging, a feature intended for service technicians.
However, concerns have emerged that the app, along with another application called Lossigy, is being misused to remotely interfere with certain e-rickshaws fitted with poorly secured battery management systems. As more such incidents surface online, drivers have been left worried about their vehicles being targeted.
Internet reacts to the so-called prank
The video has divided opinion online.
Some users described the trend as harassment and called for stricter controls or a ban on such misuse, arguing that it unfairly targets people trying to earn a living.
Others, however, called it "karma", claiming e-rickshaws often contribute to traffic congestion and block roads. Some even supported the so-called prank, saying these "tirris" are a major cause of traffic.
This story has been written by Vipashana Thakur. She is an intern at India TV Digital.
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