Tech-savvy individuals are using a mobile application called BAT-BMS to locate Bluetooth-enabled lithium battery packs on e-rickshaws.
Updated: July 3, 2026, 8:07 AM IST
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Social media platforms are flooded with all kinds of videos, from prank reels to viral challenge shorts. In the midst of this algorithm, you may have come across videos where an e-rickshaw (locally nicknamed “tirris,” “battery”) suddenly switches off, leaving its owner to push it to a repair shop. Others video show drivers breaking down in tears after losing an entire day’s earnings as their vehicles have stopped working unexpectedly. Well, this is a dangerous and highly cruel social media prank that has taken over the streets of the national capital.
What is the BAT-BMS Bluetooth app and why is it going viral?
Young and tech-savvy individuals are using a mobile application called BAT-BMS to locate Bluetooth-enabled lithium battery packs on e-rickshaws, thus using the connection to instantly flip the discharge switch and disable moving vehicles while they are being driven. Due to their affordability and low-cost, Chinese-manufactured battery units are deployed with no default security protocols, passwords, or authentication steps. Anyone standing within a 10-15-meter range can hijack and control the motor’s power flow, leaving drivers stranded in heavy congestion.
Several content creators and netizens have posted this video on social media platforms to help the daily e-rickshaw drivers know about this deadly new trend and to operate their services smoothly. Many digital creators have been documenting the tragic consequences of this new trend and fighting back against the individuals who perpetrate these “pranks” against the masses.
Can a Bluetooth app really disable an e-rickshaw from a distance?
While talking to the news agency ANI, social media influencer Amaan Siddiqui shared a heartbreaking encounter with an affected driver. Siddiqui told ANI, “I saw a man tying up his rickshaw to another in order to move it.” He further added, “I suspected this app to be behind it. I brought my vehicle behind it and tried connecting my app to the rickshaw. Once it connected, I asked him to stop and told him that his rickshaw would now restart.” Later, the content creator stated that the driver, who had rented the vehicle, lost an entire day’s earnings due to the issue. The driver allegedly said he had been facing difficulties since morning, with losses of around Rs 400-Rs 500 for the day.
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“He broke down and told me that he had lost an entire day of earning. He had taken the rickshaw on rent. I got emotional too. His rickshaw had been at the same spot for an entire day. What is being done by people is wrong…” the content creator told ANI.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Transport Department has launched an urgent investigation into the mobile applications BAT-BMS and Epoch Li-ion following a surge in viral pranks that remotely cut power to moving e-rickshaws.
At present, Transport Minister Pankaj Singh and department officials are verifying the technical risks of these applications, weighing potential restrictions on unsecured Battery Management Systems (BMS) to preserve commuter safety and protect drivers’ livelihoods.
The battery management system (BMS) is essentially the brain of a lithium ion battery system, an electronic control unit (ECU), monitoring battery voltage and temperature as well as charging & discharging currents in order to provide both safe and efficient operation of the battery.
Unsecured Bluetooth connections allow third parties to completely clear out an e-rickshaw’s digital dashboard display, disabling the ignition until the battery parameters are toggled back on by the app user. Drivers, completely unaware of the digital vulnerability, have reportedly been paying bystanders or mechanics out of pocket to “fix” their suddenly dead vehicles
(With ANI Inputs)
