Summa student Robin helps build an electric city car: 'Theory alone doesn't make a car'

An electric city car you can repair yourself, without an expensive garage visit or a specialist: that's ARIA, the latest concept car from the TU/ecomotive student team. Students from Eindhoven University of Technology, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, and Summa collaborated on the car for a year. Their goal: to prove that electric cars can be designed more intelligently, so they last longer and are much easier to repair.

In that team plays Summa Engineering student Robin Maximus played a key role. He completed his graduation internship at TU/ecomotive, worked full-time with the core team, and designed several crucial components. He is now pursuing a higher professional education at Avans and works at WeFabricate. Robin: "Our goal is to inspire the industry to realize that these kinds of sustainable possibilities are possible!"

His main task: to ensure that the car's panels can be quickly replaced. The panels must be securely fastened, but in case of damage, you want to be able to replace them without any hassle. That's why Robin designed—from the first sketch to the final model—a click system where tabs engage with blocks on the chassis, allowing you to remove and replace panels with just a few mounting points.

He also focused on a second key component: the mechanism by which the six separate battery modules slide in and out of the car. "The plan to use six separate batteries was already in place, and I further developed the idea." Robin's system makes the batteries more accessible and maintenance much simpler.

For Robin, TU/ecomotive was also a learning environment where everything comes together: technology, business, and collaboration. "With a team, you're dealing with, I think, about fifty companies. So you're not working at just one company and just doing one thing. You're working on an entire car." He definitely recommends such a team to vocational students who are unsure about their internship. "You'll discover where your value lies in the industry, understand your role better, and realize that your contribution is needed. What more could you ask for?"

With ARIA, Robin has shown that a Summa student in a multidisciplinary team can make a difference by turning smart ideas into reality.