India's First Mahindra BE6 With Aftermarket Alloys Is Here: We Explain Why It's A Bad Idea!

Mahindra’s latest products, the BE6 and the XEV 9E, have been getting an overwhelming response from customers. In the last couple of months, we have seen people post videos online where they share their experiences with these EVs. One thing we noticed in the videos was that customers were not opting for modifications that we usually see with ICE vehicles - but that was until now.

Here, we have a video where a Mahindra BE6 owner went ahead and replaced the stock wheels on the Mahindra BE6 with brand-new aftermarket units. Should you do this? We say no, and we’ll explain why.

The video has been shared by Car Decor Official on their Instagram page. In this video, the person recording mentions that a brand-new Mahindra BE6 electric SUV has arrived at their workshop for modification work. The owner has opted for 19-inch aftermarket wheels from a brand called AD Wheels. The owner requested to replace the stock alloys with new aftermarket units as it would completely change the look of the car.

The video mentions that AD Wheels, a Malaysian brand, makes quality aftermarket alloy wheels. The person also mentioned that the wheels being installed on the EV are much lighter and are suitable for EVs. While this may seem like a good idea for an ICE vehicle, doing this on Mahindra EVs is not something we would recommend. While we understand that the aftermarket wheels being installed on the BE6 are suitable for EVs, they are not specifically made for the BE6.

The stock alloy wheels that come with the Mahindra BE6 are actually developed by Mahindra for their EVs. During a factory visit earlier this year, Mahindra told us that they do not recommend replacing the stock wheels with aftermarket ones, as a lot of engineering has gone into them.

They started by explaining the tyre first. The tyre used on Mahindra EVs is specifically developed by Goodyear for Mahindra. It has foam inside it, which has been done to reduce tyre noise.

In this case, it doesn’t look like the owner replaced the tyres. They have installed the stock Goodyears on the aftermarket alloys. But if he were to replace the tyre, he could easily lose 5 percent of the driving range.

Now, coming to the alloy wheels - they have been specially designed for Mahindra, and they told us that the wheels are, in fact, reinforced to handle the weight of the EV. That’s why we said installing an aftermarket wheel on a Mahindra BE6, XEV 9E, or any upcoming Mahindra EV isn’t a great idea.

The wheel bearing is another component that is specifically developed for the stock alloy wheels, and there is no offset. So, installing an offset aftermarket wheel can be risky.

We understand that owners who are buying Mahindra EVs often want to make their vehicles stand out, and aftermarket wheels are often one of the easiest ways to do it. It is definitely the easiest - but not the recommended - modification for a Mahindra EV.