- Student
- 26/11/2025
TU/ecomotive unveils ARIA, a car you can repair yourself
ARIA is the tenth car developed by student team TU/ecomotive, and it’s more sustainable than ever. It’s designed to last longer than today’s electric vehicles because every component can be removed and replaced individually. With this concept, the team aligns itself with new European regulations and hopes to inspire the automotive industry.
Surrounded by members of the press, the car from the Back to the Future films, and Solar Team Eindhoven’s solar camper, ARIA takes center stage at the Evoluon. Next Nature Museum is hosting Tuesday’s unveiling of TU/ecomotive’s latest creation. ARIA is bright blue, with doors that open upwards. It looks spectacular—exactly what the designers intended.
This electric car stands out for its sustainability. While current cars are retired sooner than necessary, according to the student team, ARIA offers unprecedented repair options. “The problem with today’s batteries is that they only last about ten years. If owners want to replace them, they need to go to a garage,” explains Marc Hoevenaar of TU/ecomotive. “Batteries are often built into the chassis, components aren’t standardized, and independent garages struggle to get them. On top of that, there’s a shortage of mechanics trained in electric drivetrains and battery systems, which means repairs take longer and cost more. You’re easily looking at ten thousand euros.”
Doing it yourself
“In our car, all components can be repositioned without tools or experience. You don’t need a car lift, because the six modular batteries can be reached from the side. Each weighs just twelve kilos. The range is 220 kilometers.” Hoevenaar demonstrates how easily the three batteries on the left side can be accessed.
The Computer Science student is proud of the app his team developed. “If, for example, the accelerator pedal breaks, the owner connects an app to the car’s dashboard. It then provides step-by-step instructions on how to solve the issue.” He emphasizes that this is a concept car, so there’s no need to ask where to order a replacement pedal. The team won’t be bringing the car to market; they want to show what’s possible.
The team—around twenty students from TU/e, Fontys, and Summa—spent a long time brainstorming the name, says team manager Taco Olmer. “It ended up becoming an acronym for ‘Anyone Repairs It Anywhere.’ We’re also showing our social engagement by partnering with repair cafés at this event. They’re giving a presentation as well. We’re both pleased with the European legislation passed last year, which gives consumers the right to repair products more quickly, cheaply, and easily.”
TU/ecomotive also shows that sustainability doesn’t have to be boring: ARIA’s design makes that clear.
Closing a chapter
The unveiling of ARIA marks the end of an intensive year for Olmer and Hoevenaar. “It took a lot of time, but building a car as a Computer Science student is incredible. You won’t get an experience like this anywhere else. And having the national press interview me just now feels very special,” says Hoevenaar.
The team is celebrating the car’s presentation to the wider public. The next day, they will clean up the garage in Momentum for the next TU/ecomotive team, which has already started working. Olmer still has some advice for his successors: “Enjoy it. Listen to advice, but stay optimistically naive and a little stubborn. We did, and look at what we achieved!”
Safety questions
Some guests are wondering how feasible the concept is in the real world. At one of the tables stand three volunteers from Repair Café Acht. “They say the car is easy to repair, but I can’t imagine that,” says Hemmy van Hees (note from the editor: the name is spelled correctly). He worked as a car mechanic for 43 years. “How do you keep the brakes and steering safe? There’s so much that can go wrong. In my experience, professional drivers often can’t even change a light bulb.” But the men don’t want to come across as overly negative. “We think what the students are aiming for is great. And that’s why we’re here.”
This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.
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