A recent video of Aptera gives us an overview of its repairable hoses

A recent video from Aptera not only shows us that they are committed to making the vehicle serviceable by normal people, but it also gave us a glimpse of how it’s actually going to happen. Keep in mind that these blueprints are Alpha vehicles (early development vehicles), so things are subject to change. But it looks like the vehicle is going to have underbelly access of some sort.

Here is the video I’m talking about. More comments below!

The video contains interviews with Daniel Morris, one of Aptera’s mechanical engineers. Its job is to help with vehicle integration, or to ensure that every system that works well on its own works well together as a vehicle. About half a minute later, he shows Morris climbing under one of the vehicles and starting to sting his guts.

The most interesting thing was that the underside of the vehicle was open, and before this video most of us had no idea that there was some kind of underbelly access in the vehicle. Because the focus is on what the engineer is doing and it looks like it was shot with a long lens, it’s hard to see what it is. We can see the rear wheel, its suspension (which will definitely change for production) and the main AC power leads to power the wheel hub motor. There are a bunch of other wires and other components that are much more difficult to identify.

In a second shot, we see that the opening in the engine guard goes to the dashboard. It is roughly under the seats of the working vehicle, and we can see that further forward there is more open compartment.

I was wondering before this if you should tear up the inside to access the items you need to fix, but it looks like that won’t be a problem. What I would like to understand is how the access panels are removed, how they are hermetically sealed to prevent aerodynamic drag, and whether it will be so easy to get into production vehicles.

It’s also great to see that the batteries (which will be in this area) will be accessible for repairs, especially through independent stores.

Finally, it’s good to see that the clearance below will make it easier to access the basement for work. Many vehicles simply don’t have room underneath without lifting, lifting, or climbing ramps. The Aptera will be relatively easy to descend.

Right to repair

By right to repair, they do not mean that it will always be very easy, nor that all repair tasks would not require any skill. What they mean is that there are no technological or legal barriers to working on the vehicle. If you are a DIY enthusiast, Aptera intends to provide a workshop manual that you can use to make repairs. If you are an independent store, they will also have the information and, more importantly, the parts needed to make the necessary repairs.

It also looks like Apteras will come with a tool kit that can be used to do 80% of the common repairs a vehicle might need! It will not only be practical and good for repairs or work needed while traveling, but it will also make it much easier to get started for people who want to learn how to work on cars.

Secondary market opportunities?

With the vehicle being easy to work with, with no barriers to self-employment, I think we’re going to see some really cool things happen.

On the one hand, we will eventually see spare parts. Some will meet factory specifications or the like to provide cheaper repairs. Others will be made for improvements of various kinds. It doesn’t appear that Aptera will oppose people who offer spare parts and may even provide assistance. We’ll likely see things like lift kits, lowering kits, power modules, aftermarket fenders, and brake upgrades.

Another thing we will likely see with Apteras will be changes in software and hardware. Some companies are already offering upgrades and hacks for electric vehicles, but companies like Tesla are very opposed to them and are constantly trying to turn them off with updates. Aptera appears to be a very open-minded company, however.

I’m sure they won’t want to offer you free warranty support if you add aftermarket updates to your Aptera or damage it with power modules, but they won’t actively try to prevent them. aftermarket companies sell these products and services. , or prevent you from doing your own work on the car.

The car will become simpler as it develops

When I was watching the video above I got a little worried. It was a LOT of wires hanging under the car. It seemed like it might be a nightmare to work on or give a lot of opportunity for things to go wrong. But, then, I remembered another video from September that shows us that it probably won’t be that complex electrically.

They walk away from a few central controllers, then a bunch of sub-controllers that are all connected with a big spaghetti of wires all over the car, or big bundles of thick cables that run under and through everything.

Instead, they aim to simplify wiring and controller arrangements. There will be simple data and power cabling that will connect different “point of use” controllers to the main computer. This means that each device or controller in the car will not need to have its own dedicated wire to the main computer, instead it will share the buses with other controllers, and therefore share the wiring. This means that there aren’t that many threads going everywhere.

This will not only make it easier to work, but cheaper, lighter and more efficient. Removing a few thin wires here and there won’t take much of the weight off the car, but when you add up the thousands of little decisions that remove a tiny amount of weight, you are soon removing dozens of pounds from the car.

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All images in this article are screenshots from Aptera’s YouTube channel.

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