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Aptera Maker Series Videos
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Aptera Maker Series Videos
updated 1 year, 9 months ago
35 Members
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80
Replies
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Wesley, I agree that more on right-to-repair would be nice, but do suspect it’s a bit early for anything very polished. I wonder if there is a list anywhere of the specific “repairs” that need to be addressed, from simple to more advanced.:
– replace tire/wheel
– replace brake pads (infrequently)
– replace lights
– service AC/heat
– chase down rattles (has been the bane of my recent cars)
– apply new wrap (patterns available?)
– screen replacement
– glass replacement
– service doors and hatches
– 12vdc battery replacement (and, if it will be old fashioned or Li- )
– Main battery replacement
– Any electronics replacements
– Body repairs, from small dings to larger-but-fixable bashes
– Seat mechanism repair. (not clear if this is just mechanical at this point)
– Etc. There are always Etc-things that need fixing, but what might they be?
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Thanks for the list, John. I’ve been thinking about one of the typical objections to buying an Aptera: “Where will I get it repaired?”
We know there is no dealer network, nor are there any authorized Aptera repair shops. If neither of these are going to be established in the short term future, that leaves us first wave of Aptera owners only the DIY route and thereby limits the appeal of the vehicle. A systematic effort to put together a resource such as a series of YouTube Aptera repair/replacement videos would be well worth it. That would address some of the “repair anxiety” prospective owners might have.
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My thoughts:
– replace brake pads (infrequently): Probably not – They should last the life of the motor.
– replace lights: Unscrew, swap in part, rescrew, aim. Aiming will be something I’ll probably adjust at home.
– service AC/heat: I’m hiring a shop for that… Probably standard AC service.
– apply new wrap (patterns available?): Also hiring a shop.
– screen replacement: Unplug, unscrew, swap, replug, rescrew.
– 12vdc battery replacement (and, if it will be old fashioned or Li- ): Yeah I’m doing that myself.
– Main battery replacement: Oh hail no. It’s going on a truck to San Diego.
– Body repairs, from small dings to larger-but-fixable bashes
Most impacts would not leave any “dings” or “dents” and would only leave scratches. If there’s a sharp impact in one spot (bullet hole from a pickup truck driver for example) then standard boat fiberglass repair. I already do this at home but most boat shops would do it too. Then re-wrap if needed.
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As I understand, many Tesla repairs are done by mechanics who come to the vehicle to work on it. I assume something like this can be arranged for Aptera. Will Aptera have a list of Aptera approved mechanics all over the world? This would be a very large undertaking. Warranty service needs to be in place before the first vehicle is delivered to a customer.
One possibility would be to use Tesla approved mechanics. They are already experienced on working on EVs at people’s homes. I don’t know if these mechanics are Tesla employees in which case this may be difficult, or if they are independent mechanics who are approved by Tesla.
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I have a good friend in Wisconsin who works on Telsa models in the field. He has an independent repair shop specializing in EV’s and a deep skillset from repairing Leafs, Prius, Honda Insights and the like. Not sure if he is factory authorized or not. Someone like him would certainly be a prime candidate for the role of Aptera customer support and repair person.
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Definitely not factory certified. Tesla does not support third party repair. Your friend and shops like his, Electrified Garage being the most famous, rely on salvaged parts to repair Tesla’s. The two poster boys for anti-right to repair are Apple and Tesla. Apple goes so far as to restrict their suppliers from selling parts to anyone but Apple, Tesla makes their own parts which they won’t sell to third party repair shops.
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On the topic of tires, I’d like to see a video showing how to change the tires on the motors. Even though plugging a simple flat can be done, tires can get more severely damaged and will wear so we need to know how they can be changed. I’m guessing this necessitates the removal of the motor wheel assembly. I was speaking with my mechanic (former GM Master Mechanic) about Aptera and we got into a discussion about this. He’s very intrigued by these in wheel motors and would like to know how to handle a tire replacement. Perhaps the motor manufacturer might already have something on this. It would be good to know this could be done locally when necessary. I’m already working on planning for maintenance and repair issues. Never too early.
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These are Aptera’s wheels: You’ll note that they have a standard 5-nut pattern. They will be removed and installed like any common 16″automobile wheel. As to how the front wheel pants and the rear wheel skirt will allow access to the wheels, that we do not yet know. We also don’t know the location of the lifting points for using a jack. These decisions will be made before the vehicle enters production.
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I don’t think any new info dropped, but still a fun and quick watch.
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Thanks Roshiyu! Enjoyable and instructive! Where did you come across this? It’s not on my account page which has other Aptera update videos.
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One can subscribe to Aptera’s YouTube channel…
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Thanks!
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I subscribed to Aptera, and watch the subscriptions tab daily for new videos (as the youtube home page/recommended is likely to skip new videos from subscriptions).
I also have a custom search set for Aptera, with filters set to 1 week or newer, and newest first. That was if a 3rd party releases a video I catch that as well.
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I’ll have to subscribe as well although I do find it odd Aptera would not also post same to their website where folks like most of us who are investors would appreciate getting these updates directly from horse’s mouth. We’re not exactly chopped liver!
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Sooner or later, all these videos do show up on all the Aptera channels.
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I am an investor, have my vehicle on order and so I’m in with Aptera, but this video is really turn me into a fanboy. They’re being seemingly transparent as a company which I like and with this ethos of right to repair, they just are hitting on all cylinders….errr….solar panels.
Comprehensive repair manual? So cool.
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Actually, this video reminds the Aptera fanbase that management is committed to right to repair.
The topic headline, “Right to repair Video Dropped” therefore seems a bit inappropriate as it ‘implies’ by its structure that Aptera’s management was dropping right to repair.
A better headline would be “Right to Repair video released.” It is just more accurate.
That said, I liked the video and begin to grasp what the task is … i.e. documentation, documentation, documentation.
Particularly interesting will be the documentation on the electronic motor controllers including specs that would allow the development of independently developed apps for the Aptera.
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Link for anyone that has not seen it yet
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Thanks!
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Just to update this thread and re-share a great video from Rich Rebuilds :
https://youtu.be/I-KdsjVQhu0?t=1319
1. (22:09) Right to repair.
2. (22:13) Pledging to ship our customers parts within 24 hours of a need.
3. (22:22) QR codes around the vehicle to give customers the info they need to fix various components.
4. (22:34) Keep the Aptera on the road for generations.
5. (22:45) Try to make it infinitely upgradeable.You can tell the incredible team at Aptera are seriously thinking about how to extend the life of this vehicle platform. Their desire to obtain some of the above mentioned goals is loads better than not thinking about future problems. They’re not selling some disposable product. They are expecting users to upgrade their platform for years to come. ❤
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I am not buying in to the Right to Repair as the “Solution” for either warranty work or fixing something that is broken. Certainly not for body shop work. I am also not confident in the undefined management of supporting right to repair. A much bigger effort than we understand. Inventory control and warehousing even if they ship direct is difficult to get right even for companies that have been in the business for a while. I would like to see some detail on right to repair now since it is eight months to production. If there is no detail to give now, it is an indication that it has been on the back burner.
I understand that it requires some final design to do the videos if that is the path to be taken, but it takes a lot of time to do those videos right. They need to bed ready about the same time as production models are delivered. The first deliveries will have the greatest number of defects and Aptera needs to be able to respond quickly to those defects or the vehicle will get a reputation for being unreliable and difficult to get fixed.
It is time to see some specifics.
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On September 20, 2021 Aptera posted one of their Aptera Makers Series videos, Body Control. In this clip from that video Charlie Bulkeley mentions that the Aptera will have features such as “if it’s dark out, the lights will come on” and “if it’s raining, the wipers will come on.” Does anyone know if these sensor-activated controls are still in the plans or have they been relegated to the “cutting room floor”?
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Hello, Thomas. It’s likely we’ll have to wait until final production to determine if the features you mentioned will be part of the standard Aptera package. Not aware of any firm decision by Aptera on these at this time.
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After re-watching that video I was surprised I’d forgotten about these feathers.
They have accomplished the strategic placement of the devices/sensors to reduce the amount of wires to the main controllers as stated in the video. Since he mentioned the lights and wipers earlier I would think this was completed. (Software Bug fixed)
Maybe since this was almost a year ago it simply hasn’t been thought of anymore as in Been There, Done That?
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My experience with automatic lights and wipers does not give me confidence that they will function well.
I hope they will be manually controllable as well, without having to navigate the touch screen.
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Agreed Bob. There’s a few things where touch screen control is just time consuming and not safe.
The gear, signals, light control and wipers as a minimum should have manual controls.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by Steven G. Bueche.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by
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