The modern automotive industry has a “black box” problem. We are currently transitioning to electric vehicles under the promise of sustainability, yet we have never been further from being able to maintain our own machines. When a single sensor fails, or a battery module degrades in a modern EV, the typical outcome is not a repair; it is a replacement.
Aria (an acronym for Anyone Repairs It Anywhere) is a direct challenge to this status quo. Developed by the student team TU/ecomotive at Eindhoven University of Technology, Aria is a modular electric city car designed to prove that the “Right to Repair” isn’t just for smartphones; it belongs in our garages. By rethinking how a car is put together from the ground up, this team has created a vehicle that favors the owner over the manufacturer.
Engineering for longevity: The “Lego” philosophy
The foundation of Aria’s design is a departure from traditional automotive manufacturing, which often relies on permanent bonds that make disassembly impossible. In a standard car, parts are often welded or fused, meaning a small amount of damage to one area requires a massive, expensive overhaul of the surrounding structure.
To solve this, the team focused on mechanical accessibility:
- The 250-Gram Rule: While a typical car uses roughly 15kg of structural adhesives, Aria uses only 250 grams. By replacing glue with mechanical fasteners, the car becomes a collection of parts rather than a single, fused unit.
- The “Click-On” Exterior: The body panels utilize a specialized “click system.” If you dent a fender, you simply unclip the damaged panel and snap on a new one, a process that takes minutes rather than days at a body shop.
- Standardized Hardware: Every bolt and connector is standardized, and the car even features an onboard toolbox under the seat containing everything needed for daily maintenance.
The outcome of this “Lego-like” construction is a vehicle that effectively never expires. Because every component can be accessed in less than five minutes, the labor costs that usually make EV repairs prohibitive are virtually eliminated. This design transforms the car from a depreciating appliance into a platform that can be maintained indefinitely.
Redefining the powerplant: Distributed energy
The most significant barrier to EV repair is the battery pack. In most modern EVs, the battery is a massive, 500kg structural component buried deep within the chassis. If a single cell fails, the labor required just to reach the problem often costs more than the car is worth. Aria flips this script by treating the battery as a consumable, user-serviceable part.
The car utilizes a distributed battery architecture:
- Six Independent Modules: Instead of one giant pack, Aria uses six 12kg (26 lbs) modules.
- “Remote Control” Logic: These modules can be pulled out from the side of the car by hand. It’s as simple as swapping batteries in a household remote.
- Total Capacity: These six units provide a total of 12.96 kWh, which is more than enough for urban commuting.
This modularity does not just make repairs easier; it makes the car future-proof. As energy density improves, a driver could theoretically swap these modules for next-gen technology without changing the car itself. For a deeper look at what that future tech might look like, see our guide on solid-state batteries for electric vehicles.
Performance and purpose: The urban specs
While high-performance EVs chase 0-60 times, Aria is engineered for a different metric: efficiency per kilogram. By stripping away unnecessary complexity and heavy adhesives, the team managed to keep the total weight down to just 650kg. This lightweight profile allows the car to achieve impressive range figures even with a relatively small battery capacity.
The specifications are tailored for the modern city:
- Theoretical Range: Up to 220 km (137 miles).
- Top Speed: 90 km/h (56 mph).
- Space-Saving Design: The car features upward-swinging scissor doors, which allow for easy entry in tight city parking where modular panel swaps might take place.
The result is a vehicle that is perfectly balanced for its environment. It does not need a massive, complex motor to move its own weight. To see how this lightweight philosophy compares to the raw power of industry leaders, check out our most advanced EV motor comparison.
The road ahead: From prototype to policy
Aria is currently a proof-of-concept, but its impact is already being felt in the halls of the European Union. The TU/ecomotive team is using the vehicle to lobby for expanded “Right to Repair” laws, arguing that if a group of students can build a fully repairable EV in a year, multi-billion dollar manufacturers have no excuse for building disposable cars.
By partnering with the Right to Repair Europe coalition, the team is showing that sustainable design is a choice. For the everyday driver, the benefit is clear: a car that you truly own, rather than one you simply “license” until the first major part fails.
