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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.
- This discussion was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by
bbelcamino.
- This discussion was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by
- 23 Replies
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Rodent mitigation strategies?
updated 11 months ago 20 Members · 23 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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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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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.
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I know to some this may seem like a ridiculous question, but it came to mind and I thought I would throw it out there. Given that the Aptera communicates all over the itself with wires, I am wondering if it is rodent proof. Rodents love to take up residence in cars, especially those that are not used very often and chew on, and destroy wires. Someone please tell me Aptera will pass the rodent test. 🐿️🐁🐀
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The biggest upside going for aptera is the dramatically reduced number of wires.
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So for the rodents it’ll be “Tastes great but less filling!” 😁
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The wire schematics now appear to me as a rodent menu guide. 😋
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IMO unfortunately you confuse less availability with less interest. The two previous replies humorously summarize the reality.
Gnawing is a life or death must for most rodent species. Their teeth grow constantly and without the corresponding wear of gnawing would become unusable and theoretically grow enough to turn back and injure.
After many years in the automotive service industry, in my experience the primary contributing factors for rodent damage are:
1) Infrequently driven vehicles.
2) Nearby food sources that otherwise increase and “invite” a local populations further explorations.
3) The seasonal Fall/Winter search for a warm home.
Garage kept is a good counter measure since solar charging is daytime only and many rodents are nocturnal. In high rodent density locations even well counter-measured garages will be penetrated so additional steps such as perimeter repellants, population controls and surface bittering agents should be considered.
BUT if you’ve yet to have suffered rodent damage or even seen evidence of their activity in your garage / vehicle then there is nothing about the Aptera that should make it any more prone for this type of damage than any other contemporary vehicle.
HTH! 🙂
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Climate and species may matter, but my friends in AZ keep a led light rope on the garage floor which they drive over/ignore. The light keeps the mice/rats away.
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THAT explains why one house my area had that setup in their carport!
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I had pack rats in my miata’s engine compartment. added a couple of flashing LEDs. Stupid rats nested right next to it. I now keep the hood open and use a solar powered garden light.
My cat is indicating that I might have someone squatting in my Tesla. Time to go for a drive.
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I had a mousy problem with my LS430 that cost me close to $10k and many repeat visits to finally get all the wiring gremlins fixed. I sure hope to never see that again.
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Mint oil is rumored to repel rats and mice.
My outlander PHEV has had a problem with rats nesting on top of the cabin pollen filter.Wire mesh in the right places would have prevented this particular issue.
I now park indoors when home.
- This reply was modified 12 months ago by
edward matejowsky. - This reply was modified 12 months ago by
edward matejowsky.
- This reply was modified 12 months ago by
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Would a sonic pest repellent work? They just plug into a conventional outlet.
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The rodents tend to become accustom to them unless you make sure to turn them on and off for various lengths of time 24/7.
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I worked at a Uni where one of the students was testing some big rat repelling units . After a few days the rats sat on them to keep warm. Yes turning them off sometimes may help.
- This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by
edward matejowsky.
- This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by
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In the past I’ve used tube socks full of moth balls to repel rodents in cars stored over winter. The problem is that they also tend to repel people.
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Rodents aren’t the problem, turkeys are
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The dumbass birds think their reflections are another turkey and try to fight it. 🤦♂️
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