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Does Aptera have any built in rodent mitigation strategies?
Recent EVs have had a persistent problem of mice, squirrels, chipmunks, etc finding their way inside to get warm, where they end up nesting and chewing on wire insulation. It’s been a problem with ICE cars forever as well ( and it doesn’t matter if the wiring is soy or petroleum based), but it seems to crop up a lot on recent EVs because if you leave them outside in the cold, the battery thermal management will kick in, so it’s a more consistent source of heat than an ICE car that’s only warmed up when needed. Still happens with ICE cars though.
But yeah seriously, go check the Bolt EV forums, or any other forums you want, you’ll see lots of rodent complaints. This can be a few hundred dollars of work to fix, that annoying amount where it’s just enough to be an inconvenience, but not enough to get insurance involved. There are lots of reports from people who’ve never seen rodents in their area before and had no idea it was even a thing, when suddenly their new EV doesn’t start one morning and the bonnet is full of mouse nest and chewed wires.
So does Aptera have a strategy for this? Has it even been considered? I mean, we don’t have to think rats and mice, let’s say a squirrel hops onto the wheel pant and walks over the suspension to the big obvious mouse hole in the side of the vehicle and finds himself a nice comfortable home somewhere around your battery’s thermal systems. It’d be a problem. Surely there’s gotta be something we can do about that?
And remember, Aptera will be much more likely to be kept outside due to the solar charging, meaning “keep it in a garage” isn’t a real answer for this particular vehicle.
- 11 Replies
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Does Aptera have any built in rodent mitigation strategies?
updated 12 hours, 2 minutes ago 10 Members · 11 Replies -
Some of the things done to improve airodynamics will help with this, but there still could be problems. The best thing we could do to help is to drive it at least several times a week.
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Are the cables to the wheels totally covered in the final production design? I live out in the country where mice eating their way through wire insulation materials and pex plumbing pipe is a real problem. Maybe I’ll have to keep mouse traps set where my car is parked like I do in my kitchen to keep them away.
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Maybe spray undercarriage earth friendly odorless non staining weather resistant rodent repellent as often as necessary.
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Sam, I think steel wool around openings would be better. Chewing through the steel wool causing issues rodents can not stand and drives them away.
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Shawgrin, thanks, that’s a much better suggestion!<div>
In researching it, I found this – You may want to try copper wool instead of steel wool for several reasons. Because of the way it’s woven, copper wool is said to get stuck in rodents’ teeth, making it difficult to move or chew through. This means you’ll be able to skip the step of mixing it with caulking compound before stuffing it into the holes. Also, while steel wool is known to rust, copper wool does not, which means you don’t have to worry about rust stains.
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“And remember, Aptera will be much more likely to be kept outside due to the solar charging, meaning “keep it in a garage” isn’t a real answer for this particular vehicle.”
Unless your garage is made out of translucent (or transparent) materials for the upper walls and roof.
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I’d think Aptera has advantages. First, an opening for the radiator does not exist. Second, no openings on the bottom surface, except for the back wheel. Third, I’d hope all three wheel shrouds make it a bit harder for varmints.
A local National Park offers blue tarps to wrap cars to discourage marmot damage. (http://trotter.ws/Restart_2019d/images/d190721_62_marmotwrap.jpg ) Since the nearest service for this location, for ANY vehicle, is 30 or 40 miles away, everyone does take advantage.
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I did have an e-golf 5 years ago, and had to pay around $300 to replace some chewed up wires. Never had that problem with my other ICE vehicles. I read somewhere it’s because of the type of insulation that was used, not all wire insulation types attract rodents.
The e-golf had easy rodent access from the bottom of the car, but I didn’t see any easy access at the Aptera. It seems like all entry points are sealed, but I might be wrong.
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I heard it was “soy based” earth friendly wire insulation introduced a decade ago that was a huge problem. Apparently, it’s rodent delicious. I hope Aptera stays from that garbage. Keeping the car on the road with it’s current efficiency rating will likely save more baby seals that a sidelined Aptera with chewed wires and shorts.
- This reply was modified 4 days, 7 hours ago by
M T.
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Tam, you are correct. At the dealership I ran into several wire harnesses that were rodent damaged. Most with the earth friendly coatings. We started sprinkling diatomaceous earth on the wire harnesses. Absorbs moisture, and toxins and rodents dry out just from getting it on their fur and cleaning themselves. Basically acts as a repellent and they do not even start chewing in most cases.
- This reply was modified 4 days, 7 hours ago by
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This is an issue with all vehicles, not just EVs. Every year, when fall/winter come around, we are instructed to check under our cars and inside the engine, before starting them. Animals often get into them to get away from the wind and other elements.