BAT-BMS App: How A Chinese App Is Being Used To Hack E-Rickshaws All Over India; Viral Videos Show Drivers Crying Over Lost Earnings

· Free Press Journal

A Chinese-made battery monitoring app is being reportedly misused across India to remotely disable e-rickshaws mid-journey, with viral videos showing bystanders shutting down vehicles for laughs and stranding drivers on the road. Auto rickshaw drivers are seen crying helpless, unable to switch their e-rickshaws back on, losing their day's earnings, with some even seen pushing their rickshaws back home.

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A viral 'prank' trend sweeps social media

A wave of videos on Instagram, YouTube, Reddit and X has drawn attention to an app called BAT-BMS, showing individuals approaching e-rickshaws in traffic, connecting to their batteries via Bluetooth, and cutting power output mid-ride. The trend, being called 'tirri control' online, shows vehicles losing propulsion without warning, often stalling drivers in live traffic.

One viral caption accompanying the videos reads, 'the e-rickshaw drivers have caused enough trouble, now they'll suffer.' Some of the videos frame the act as revenge for reckless e-rickshaw driving, while others show bystanders helping stranded drivers restart their vehicles.

What BAT-BMS Chinese app actually is?

BAT-BMS is developed by Shenzhen Grenergy Technology, a China-based company, and is designed as a legitimate battery-management tool for Bluetooth-enabled lithium battery packs, primarily built for solar, marine and off-grid systems rather than vehicles. The app allows users to wirelessly monitor a compatible battery's charge level, voltage, current, temperature, cycle count and cell health within a range of roughly 10 to 15 metres. It remains available on the Google Play Store but has reportedly been removed from Apple's App Store following the controversy.

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How does this app shutdown the e-rickshaws?

The app does not 'hack' a vehicle in the conventional sense. Many budget lithium battery packs used in Indian e-rickshaws come fitted with a Battery Management System, or BMS, that includes a 'discharge switch' function, a legitimate safety feature normally used by mechanics to safely cut power before repairs. When a battery's Bluetooth module is left unsecured, with no password or authentication layer, anyone within range using a compatible app can connect to it and trigger this switch, instantly cutting power to the motor controller and stalling the vehicle.

Poor e-rickshaw drivers suffering

For the drivers caught in this, the 'prank; is no laughing matter. Several videos show e-rickshaw operators stranded mid-route, confused and unable to restart their vehicles, with some reportedly paying strangers Rs. 100–200 just to get their battery switched back on. Many drivers lack the smartphones or technical know-how to fix the issue themselves, leaving them dependent on passersby, sometimes the very people behind the prank, to get back on the road. For drivers who earn their living trip by trip, even a short forced halt in traffic means lost fares and a dent in a day's earnings that many can't afford to spare. Viral videos show drivers crying and helpless. One video also shows a driver pushing his rickshaw home, after failed attempts to turn it back on.

Not every e-rickshaw is vulnerable

The risk is not universal. A large share of e-rickshaws in India still run on lead-acid batteries, which have no Bluetooth capability and are entirely unaffected. Even among lithium-powered vehicles, many use proprietary BMS software incompatible with third-party apps like BAT-BMS. Users attempting to replicate the viral clips have also reported that connecting to a moving vehicle in practice requires being stationary, in close range, and lucky enough to find an unsecured, compatible battery.

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