The child in question is thought to be no older than 12, and the footage of him in a Rs 75 lakh MG Cyberster on the city’s ring road didn’t sit well with authorities. They moved in fast: the father is booked, the car has been taken, and there are warnings of a hard line being drawn. For anyone with a performance EV, this is a matter of some concern when it comes to liability and keeping to the rules of the road.
What happened on Hyderabad ORR
There’s a clip doing the rounds of the kid at the helm on the high-speed Outer Ring Road. Put out by @safecars_india, the video even makes a point of the temporary registration, TG09AP3320.
According to those who have looked into it, the father was right there in the passenger side as the electric sports car made its way down the expressway. The police see it as a serious infraction, all things considered.
Why this alarms MG Cyberster buyers
This is India’s first all-electric roadster and it is not something to be trifled with. MG will tell you it will do 0-100 in 3.2 seconds. Put in the wrong hands and you have a problem.
If you own one of these quick, expensive EVs, take note of how this was handled. The fact that the parent was in the car doesn’t let them off the hook; the police made sure of that by booking him and taking the vehicle.
Then there is the price. At a good Rs 75 lakh, the Cyberster is part of a new breed of powerful EVs making their way into Indian garages. And with that kind of machine comes a closer look at who is actually driving it.
Police response and legal steps
The Rajendranagar Traffic Police put a pin in it: they found the car, the boy and his dad, and turned them over to the Law and Order station in Rajendranagar. The message from officials is that if you flout the law, you’ll be dealt with accordingly.
They put an update online to that effect, saying a team had been sent to check on the complaint and were in the process of starting the necessary proceedings under the Motor Vehicles Act and the like.
Here is what has been registered against them:
– Letting a minor drive
– Driving in a dangerous manner
– Not following orders
How the video amplified the case
An update in Telugu made note of the clip’s reach and how it put the ORR story in the spotlight. The post racked up 7K views or so and people started to ask what would become of the family and the car.
Some in the comments were in favour of the way the police made short work of it, while others wanted to know what was next. That kind of public eye tends to put a bit of a hurry on enforcement.
What it means for performance EV owners
For the ones with the faster EVs, this is a sign of things to come. You can’t just look at the speed and think nothing of it. Give the reins to a child and you’ve made a hobby into a legal mess.
The police have left no room for doubt. They’ve made an example of the father and the MG. The lesson for any owner is simple: you can’t opt out of compliance. If you hold the keys, you’re the one who has to answer for it.
Hyderabad has put out a word of warning for a market that is getting used to more power in an electric package. On the expressways, you can expect to be watched, and there won’t be any leniency for a minor behind the wheel, no matter what the car costs or the name on the hood.
