'Can Kill People': Chinese App Lets Pranksters Shut Down E-Rickshaws Mid-Road, Sparking Safety Alarm

A tap on a phone screen. A rickshaw dead in traffic. A driver left pushing his vehicle for kilometres — all for a viral clip.

10-15m Bluetooth Range of BAT-BMS

₹100-200 Paid by Drivers to Restart Vehicle

3 km Distance One Driver Pushed His Rickshaw

A new prank sweeping Indian social media has taken a dark turn, with road safety advocates and worried commuters now warning that it “can kill people.” The trend, being called “tirri control” online, involves pranksters using a Chinese app called BAT-BMS to remotely cut power to e-rickshaws while they are moving in live traffic — instantly stalling the vehicle and leaving the driver stranded and confused.

Videos of the prank have flooded Instagram, YouTube, Reddit and X over the past few days, most following a similar script: a creator quietly opens the app near an unsuspecting e-rickshaw, kills its power mid-drive, then films the driver’s bewildered reaction as the vehicle rolls to a stop.

How the App Actually Works

Despite the “hacking” framing doing the rounds online, the mechanism behind the prank is far simpler — and far more mundane — than it sounds.

The Mechanism, Step By Step

The app is legitimate. BAT-BMS was developed by Chinese company Shenzhen Grenergy Technology as a genuine battery management tool, built to wirelessly connect to compatible Bluetooth-enabled lithium batteries and monitor voltage, temperature and current in real time.
E-rickshaw batteries are exposed. Many budget e-rickshaws and electric scooters in India run on Chinese-manufactured Battery Management Systems with minimal to no security — often left with default, open Bluetooth settings.
No password needed. This means anyone with a smartphone within roughly 10-15 metres can connect to a nearby e-rickshaw’s battery without any authentication.
One tap kills the power. The app can then trigger the battery’s built-in “discharge switch” — a feature meant for mechanics doing safe repairs — instantly cutting power to the motor and stalling the vehicle mid-journey.

In other words, this isn’t a security breach in the conventional sense. It’s an unsecured factory setting on cheap batteries being exploited for content.

Drivers Left Stranded, Some in Tears

For the e-rickshaw operators caught in the trend, the “prank” has real financial and physical consequences. Several viral videos show drivers stuck mid-route, unable to understand what has happened to their vehicle, with some seen paying strangers a small fee just to get their battery switched back on.

One elderly driver was filmed pushing his stalled e-rickshaw for nearly three kilometres after a prankster cut his power mid-route.

Many e-rickshaw drivers lack the smartphones or technical familiarity to diagnose the issue themselves, leaving them dependent on passersby — sometimes, unwittingly, the very people responsible for disabling their vehicle in the first place. For drivers who earn on a trip-by-trip basis, even a short forced halt in traffic can mean a real dent in a day’s income.

Why It’s Being Called Dangerous

The safety concern at the centre of the backlash is straightforward: a vehicle losing propulsion without warning in moving traffic is a genuine hazard, both for the driver and for other vehicles around it. Unlike a controlled breakdown, the sudden and unpredictable nature of the shutdown means drivers have no time to signal, pull over, or warn traffic behind them — raising the risk of collisions on busy roads.

The backlash has already spilled onto the streets. In one widely shared clip, a man caught using the app to disable a rickshaw was confronted by bystanders, who hurled abuses at him and threatened to take him to the police.

A Divided Internet

The online response to the trend has split sharply into two camps.

“Well Deserved”

A section of commenters frame the stalled rickshaws as karma, pointing to long-standing frustration over unmanaged e-rickshaw traffic and drivers accused of disregarding road rules and other motorists.

“Stop This”

A larger and louder section — including several content creators — has condemned the trend as needlessly cruel, pointing out that drivers are losing real income and being put at real risk for the sake of views.

Several creators have gone as far as posting counter-content specifically calling out the insensitivity of the prank, using their own platforms to urge people to stop targeting drivers who already work under difficult conditions.

Not Every E-Rickshaw Is at Risk

The vulnerability isn’t universal. A large share of e-rickshaws on Indian roads still run on older lead-acid batteries, which have no Bluetooth capability and are entirely unaffected by the prank. Even among e-rickshaws that do run on lithium batteries, many use proprietary BMS software that isn’t compatible with third-party apps like BAT-BMS — meaning the pool of vulnerable vehicles, while significant, is not every rickshaw on the road.

Still, with videos of the trend continuing to circulate and drivers reporting real financial losses, pressure is likely to build on battery manufacturers to close the security gap — and on platforms to act against a trend that, for now, remains just a tap away for anyone with a phone and the app installed. What is the BAT-BMS app?

BAT-BMS is a battery management app developed by Chinese company Shenzhen Grenergy Technology. It connects wirelessly via Bluetooth to compatible lithium batteries within a 10-15 metre range for real-time monitoring of voltage, temperature and current, and allows precise control of battery performance, including a discharge switch. How are pranksters using it on e-rickshaws?

Many budget e-rickshaws in India use lithium batteries with unsecured Bluetooth-enabled Battery Management Systems that have no password or authentication. Pranksters connect using the BAT-BMS app and trigger the discharge switch, instantly cutting power to the motor and stalling the vehicle mid-journey, often without the driver’s knowledge. Why is this considered dangerous?

A sudden, unexpected loss of propulsion in live traffic can cause accidents and endanger both the driver and other road users. Drivers have also been left stranded, some pushing their vehicles for kilometres, and paying strangers to restore power. Are all e-rickshaws vulnerable to this prank?

No. A large share of e-rickshaws in India still run on lead-acid batteries, which have no Bluetooth capability and are unaffected. Even among lithium-powered vehicles, many use proprietary BMS software that is incompatible with third-party apps like BAT-BMS.

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BAT-BMS E-Rickshaw Prank: How a Viral Trend Is Putting Lives at Risk

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BAT-BMS App Misused to Stall E-Rickshaws: Viral Trend Explained
Dangerous BAT-BMS Prank Leaves E-Rickshaw Drivers Stranded
How the BAT-BMS App Is Being Used to Stop E-Rickshaws Mid-Road
E-Rickshaw Bluetooth Hack? The Truth Behind the BAT-BMS Viral Trend
Viral BAT-BMS Prank Raises Road Safety Concerns Across India

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The BAT-BMS app is being misused to remotely stall e-rickshaws, leaving drivers stranded and raising serious road safety concerns across India.

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BAT-BMS e-rickshaw prank

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SEO-Friendly H2 Headings

What Is the BAT-BMS App?
How the BAT-BMS E-Rickshaw Prank Works
Why the Viral Trend Is Dangerous
Financial Impact on E-Rickshaw Drivers
Are All E-Rickshaws Vulnerable?
Road Safety Experts Raise Concerns
How Battery Manufacturers Can Prevent Such Misuse
FAQs About the BAT-BMS Viral Trend

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BAT-BMS app being misused to remotely disable an e-rickshaw, leaving the driver stranded in traffic.

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BAT-BMS Viral E-Rickshaw Prank

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The BAT-BMS app is reportedly being misused to remotely cut power to vulnerable Bluetooth-enabled e-rickshaws, raising serious safety concerns.

BAT-BMS App Misused in Viral E-Rickshaw Prank; Drivers Left Stranded

A viral prank involving the BAT-BMS battery management app is reportedly stalling vulnerable e-rickshaws in traffic, sparking safety concerns and financial losses for drivers.

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What is the BAT-BMS app used for?
How does the BAT-BMS e-rickshaw prank work?
Can Bluetooth disable an e-rickshaw?
Are lithium battery e-rickshaws vulnerable?
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FAQ Keywords (Featured Snippet Optimized)

Q1. What is the BAT-BMS app?
A battery management application that connects to compatible Bluetooth-enabled lithium batteries for monitoring and maintenance.

Q2. How are pranksters using the BAT-BMS app?
They connect to unsecured Bluetooth-enabled battery management systems and activate the discharge switch, cutting power to the vehicle.

Q3. Are all e-rickshaws affected?
No. Only some lithium battery-powered e-rickshaws with unsecured Bluetooth-enabled BMS are vulnerable. Lead-acid battery models are not affected.

Q4. Why is the BAT-BMS prank dangerous?
It can abruptly stall vehicles in moving traffic, increasing the risk of collisions, financial losses for drivers, and public safety hazards.

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‘Can Kill People’: Chinese App Lets Pranksters Shut Down E-Rickshaws Mid-Road, Sparking Safety Alarm