Please note: Our texts are translated automatically. Errors may occur during this process.
No oil change, no filter change, no spark plugs, and then some. Electric vehicles never have to go in for service again! This is what some new customers of e-vehicles hoped for when they switched to e-mobility, and it made many an established repair shop fearful of losing their hitherto secure source of income from vehicle servicing. But is that really true? Our experience is: No, even e-vehicles should regularly go to the workshop to have wear parts such as tires or brake pads replaced or to have their other condition checked.
From the very beginning of the development of the TWIKE 5, however, we were concerned with how to avoid workshop visits as far as possible and reduce the amount of servicing required. We looked at accident repairs and regular servicing (inspection, maintenance, replacement of wear parts).
With regard to unavoidable accident repairs, we will ensure that TWIKE insurance rates remain low in the future by consistently separating the component levels into surface (minor damage), sacrificial structure and actual supporting structure. Thus, a slight scratch in the surface can be repaired by replacing the coloring film. A deeper scratch can be removed by filling before applying the new film. If the component is cracked, it can be bonded if necessary or, in the case of more extensive damage, partially replaced (reduced to the affected parts) with the sacrificial structure behind it in a time- and cost-optimized manner. If the vehicle has to be dismantled down to the supporting frame due to an even more serious accident, even this can be done in a few hours using standard workshop tools. This uncomplicated dismantling results from the consistent consideration of an ergonomic assembly in our manufacture. The vehicle is assembled by hand from “bottom to top” and can also be disassembled by screwing in reverse order. Note for the interested screwdriver: The use of a common motorcycle lifting platform makes the work processes even more ergonomic. A room height of about 2m is already sufficient.
The regular workshop visit will mainly serve to check the correct functions, the maintenance of locks and seals as well as the replacement of the intended wear parts. As with the TWIKE 3, the most noticeable wearing part will be the tire. However, the TWIKE 5 is already equipped with a passenger car tire in the basic configuration, so replacement intervals for these are foreseeable to be greater than 50,000km. However, since the TWIKE 5 is also a completely new development, we will start with the usual maintenance intervals (1,000km initial service, 1x per year or every 10,000km) and gradually increase them.
Overall, the following applies: Since mainly components from the automotive industry are used, a longer service life and significantly lower maintenance requirements can be expected than before. Interested service partners receive free initial training at the factory for usual maintenance work. And customers are also instructed on simple, self-performable service work (e.g. windshield water level, wiper blade change, wheel change to winter tires) upon delivery. As much as the TWIKE 5 has occupied us as a development task, the focus has also always been on reducing the service effort.
An overview of all previous TWIKE partners can be found here.
