{"id":11015,"date":"2026-01-02T13:37:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T13:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/2026\/01\/02\/dutch-students-create-modular-electric-car-you-can-repair-yourself\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T13:37:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T13:37:03","slug":"dutch-students-create-modular-electric-car-you-can-repair-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/2026\/01\/02\/dutch-students-create-modular-electric-car-you-can-repair-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"Dutch students create modular electric car “you can repair yourself”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"ARIA<\/div>\n

A team of students from the Eindhoven University of Technology has built a prototype electric car<\/a> with a built-in toolbox and components that can be easily repaired or replaced without specialist knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n

The university’s TU\/ecomotive<\/a> group, which focuses on developing concepts for future sustainable vehicles, describes its ARIA concept<\/a> as “a modular electric city car that you can repair yourself”.<\/p>\n

\"Blue
ARIA is a repairable electric car concept<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ARIA, which stands for Anyone Repairs It Anywhere, is constructed using standardised components including a battery, body panels and internal electronic elements that can be easily removed and replaced if a fault occurs.<\/p>\n

With assistance from an instruction manual and a diagnostics app that provides detailed information about the car’s status, users should be able to carry out their own maintenance using only the tools in the car’s built-in toolbox, the TU\/ecomotive team claimed.<\/p>\n

\"Rear
The vehicle was created by TU\/ecomotive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The project demonstrates how an alternative design approach could enable car owners to undertake minor fixes without relying on the manufacturer or a network of suppliers and specialised technicians.<\/p>\n

The aim was to challenge current manufacturing practices, which make electric vehicles difficult to repair, as parts can be hard to obtain and batteries are often integrated into the chassis.<\/p>\n

“We want to show the automotive industry that sustainable and practical design really is achievable,” said TU\/ecomotive team leader Taco Olmer<\/a>. “If we can build this within a year, there are opportunities for the industry.”<\/p>\n

\"Battery
It comes with a built-in toolbox for repairs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Legislation adopted by the European Union in 2024 already requires manufacturers to provide tools, parts and repair information for many electronic products. But electric cars have so far been left out of the scheme.<\/p>\n

The designers hope that the project will encourage policymakers to improve Right to Repair directives, while providing a case study for automotive manufacturers to follow when designing future EVs.<\/p>\n

“With ARIA, we show what is possible and hope to encourage the EU to apply those rules to passenger cars as well,” Olmer explained.<\/p>\n