Student-Built Aria EV Puts Repairability at the Heart of Its Design

At a glance, the Aria electric vehicle might seem like just another student engineering project. But beneath its body panels lies a provocative idea: what if EVs were built to be fixed by their owners? Developed by a team of about 20 students at Eindhoven University of Technology under the Ecomotive program, the prototype aims to prove that repairability can be a foundational principle in EV architecture, not an afterthought.

The team focused on the most daunting component—the battery. Instead of a single sealed pack, the Aria uses six modular units, each weighing about 12 kilograms, making them manageable for one person to remove and replace. The modules are secured in reinforced compartments with a bottom-latch system that isolates high-voltage connections when released. This hardware-software combination makes component-level swaps safe and straightforward, a hands-on approach to ‘repairability by design.’

To further lower the barrier to DIY maintenance, the students developed a diagnostic app accessible via a USB-C port. The app displays a 3D model of the car, identifies faults, and provides step-by-step repair instructions, while the necessary tools are stored onboard. The goal is to empower owners to extend their vehicle’s life.

While the Aria is not road-legal and its 13-kWh capacity is far below mainstream EVs, it challenges industry norms. Experts like Joe Borgerson from Ohio State’s Center for Automotive Research point out trade-offs: modularity adds interfaces that must withstand vibration and crash forces, and can increase weight and complexity. Yet, with right-to-repair laws gaining traction, concepts like the Aria could reshape how automakers approach serviceability and sustainability.