Sponsored

Rodents and soy-based wire insulation

SoCal Rob

Well-Known Member
First Name
Rob
Joined
Apr 19, 2021
Threads
28
Messages
2,094
Reaction score
4,369
Location
Southern California
Vehicles
Rivian R1S & VW ID.4
Occupation
Information Technology
Clubs
 
Chewing critters are apparently very fond of the soy-based wire insulation which is increasingly used as a green alternative to petrochemical wire insulation.

Since many Rivian owners will be camping in or with their vehicles that means they will be parked for extended periods in nature. Is there any published information about type of insulation Rivian is using or if there are any deterrents in the insulation or conduits if it is soy-based? I didn't see anything in the forums while searching, but I figured I’d ask here before asking CS.

I’ve seen a lot of people who park outside in the high desert keep their hoods up on their newer ICE vehicles so the under hood area isn’t both room and board for the rodents. The vulnerable areas for the Rivians may be inaccessible to us but all-too-accessible for the gnawing critters so I’m curious.
Sponsored

 

skyote

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2019
Threads
55
Messages
2,725
Reaction score
5,647
Location
Austin, TX
Vehicles
Jeeps, 2500HD Duramax, R1S Preorder (Dec 2018)
Great question.

That would be a huge fail. Rodents will chew through regular wiring, and soy based would just be a treat.
 

crashmtb

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2021
Threads
0
Messages
4,642
Reaction score
7,117
Location
Man oh Manitoba
Vehicles
2002 aluminium garden shed TD5
Most often rodents are in engine compartments, with their winning combination of warmth, insulating materials, wiring, and space.

EVs don’t really have that. I wonder if there are widespread reports of EV wiring getting chewed up. Off to google…
 

skyote

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2019
Threads
55
Messages
2,725
Reaction score
5,647
Location
Austin, TX
Vehicles
Jeeps, 2500HD Duramax, R1S Preorder (Dec 2018)
Most often rodents are in engine compartments, with their winning combination of warmth, insulating materials, wiring, and space.
Neither of the two issues I've had were engine compartment...

One was rear/taillight area (on a Jeep Wrangler) and the other was behind the dash on a Polaris Ranger (motor is under the bed).
 

electruck

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Threads
69
Messages
3,497
Reaction score
6,466
Location
Dallas, TX
Vehicles
2023 Rivian R1S
Last edited:

Sponsored

OP
OP
SoCal Rob

SoCal Rob

Well-Known Member
First Name
Rob
Joined
Apr 19, 2021
Threads
28
Messages
2,094
Reaction score
4,369
Location
Southern California
Vehicles
Rivian R1S & VW ID.4
Occupation
Information Technology
Clubs
 

electruck

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Threads
69
Messages
3,497
Reaction score
6,466
Location
Dallas, TX
Vehicles
2023 Rivian R1S
I've been lucky enough to avoid automotive rodent problems but 10 yrs ago I had rats chew up the hvac ducting in my attic searching for heat in the winter (fortunately they didn't get into anything electrical). My in-law's neighbors had the rear seats of their Lexus chewed up by rodents (most likely rats). Don't know if it was the case with that Lexus but seat foam and many other plastics can also be bio-derived from soy, corn, etc.

This isn't a really a new problem but the soy probably isn't helping. I wouldn't have guessed that a soy derived insulator retained enough characteristics of the raw soy to truly make it rodent bait but there definitely seems to be something to this based on the complaints. Or perhaps the rodent population has just increased significantly. I know it has around here.
 

John R

New Member
First Name
John
Joined
Jul 22, 2021
Threads
0
Messages
1
Reaction score
1
Location
Connecticut
Vehicles
Cayenne, X3, X5
Occupation
Business Owner
Chewing critters are apparently very fond of the soy-based wire insulation which is increasingly used as a green alternative to petrochemical wire insulation.

Since many Rivian owners will be camping in or with their vehicles that means they will be parked for extended periods in nature. Is there any published information about type of insulation Rivian is using or if there are any deterrents in the insulation or conduits if it is soy-based? I didn't see anything in the forums while searching, but I figured I’d ask here before asking CS.

I’ve seen a lot of people who park outside in the high desert keep their hoods up on their newer ICE vehicles so the under hood area isn’t both room and board for the rodents. The vulnerable areas for the Rivians may be inaccessible to us but all-too-accessible for the gnawing critters so I’m curious.
This would be a big concern as rodents and wires are a big issue for me. I keep cars in Miami and rural Connecticut and have had rodents eat through wires and insulation at both locations causing thousands of dollars in repairs. If this is happening with plastic casing, I can only imagine how much they will chow down on the soy-based wire casing.
 

Lil'O Annie

Well-Known Member
First Name
Becky
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Threads
61
Messages
477
Reaction score
1,364
Location
E. Washington State
Website
www.youtube.com
Vehicles
R1T LE/LG/FE, 2022 Lariat Lightning
Occupation
Farming, semi-retired
We live on a farm and mice in engine compartments has always been a problem for any of our ICE vehicles. EVs will have them too. Just because there's not hot engine in there won't matter. I read somewhere that mice are attracted to electrical fields and have noticed that even in the ICEs they tend to make their nests on or near the batteries. My BoltEV has mice under the hood regularly and especially in winter when the charging or when the battery is kept above cold temps automatically to protect it. Will sound crazy, but we put mouse traps in the motor areas to eliminate the problem and it works. Have also left hoods open and that helps too.
I'm hoping the Rivian will be sealed up enough to keep them out, since it is made water tight. We'll see.
 

Gshenderson

Well-Known Member
First Name
Greg
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Threads
13
Messages
1,229
Reaction score
2,768
Location
Park City, UT / Kemmerer, WY
Vehicles
2015 Tesla S 85D, 2019 4Runner TRD Offroad, R1T
Great question.

That would be a huge fail. Rodents will chew through regular wiring, and soy based would just be a treat.
Only the CA and WA rodents like soy. ?. Just kidding folks!
 

Sponsored

redantpile

Well-Known Member
First Name
Chris
Joined
May 10, 2020
Threads
6
Messages
121
Reaction score
163
Location
allen, tx
Vehicles
2018 EDGE, 2023 R1S red adventure 20"
Occupation
Retired telephone engineer
Clubs
 
That's a good point I was not thinking of. We park both ice cars on the driveway and live in a regular subdivision. For years we have had mice nesting in the engine compartments. No wires chewed up so far. I tried poison, but now I am trying an under the hood electronic device on one of the cars. So far for 8 months it has worked, but if the Rivian has wire exposure in the back of the vehicle, that device might not do any good. I'll probably buy one that you set outdoors to hopefully keep them away from the driveway in general.
 
OP
OP
SoCal Rob

SoCal Rob

Well-Known Member
First Name
Rob
Joined
Apr 19, 2021
Threads
28
Messages
2,094
Reaction score
4,369
Location
Southern California
Vehicles
Rivian R1S & VW ID.4
Occupation
Information Technology
Clubs
 
I tried poison, but now I am trying an under the hood electronic device on one of the cars.
We have a camper we keep on undeveloped land we own. I tried an electronic device which used high-pitched / ultrasonic sound plus a combination of flashing and steady LEDs and it didn’t keep our critters away. I have no idea if any brands and models are better or even if different creatures react differently to them.

Maybe Rivian will use something like this: https://www.thedrive.com/tech/33236...ap-could-save-your-car-from-a-rodent-invasion
 

Lil'O Annie

Well-Known Member
First Name
Becky
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Threads
61
Messages
477
Reaction score
1,364
Location
E. Washington State
Website
www.youtube.com
Vehicles
R1T LE/LG/FE, 2022 Lariat Lightning
Occupation
Farming, semi-retired
Please don't use poisons if you can avoid it! They have a ripple effect of death and kill the predators that help control the rodents in the first place. Predators see a weaked poisoned rodent wobbling around on the ground as it walks and that's a sign of easy pikin's. Poison will just make the rodents numbers even worse. Traps are fast and work best for us.
That special chili tape looks interesting too!
 

skyote

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2019
Threads
55
Messages
2,725
Reaction score
5,647
Location
Austin, TX
Vehicles
Jeeps, 2500HD Duramax, R1S Preorder (Dec 2018)
Some hardware stores also stock a spray that's based on peppermint that is supposed to repel rodents, and I've heard that it works.

However, on a Rivian, I doubt we'll have access to the locations for tape, spray, etc. where we might have rodent problems. Only time will tell.
 

Trandall

Well-Known Member
First Name
Travis
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Threads
2
Messages
1,128
Reaction score
2,065
Location
Upstate NY
Vehicles
Rivian R1T, 2023 Mach-E
Occupation
Construction Management
I planted actual mint around my detached garage and raised garden bed to keep out pests. It helped with squirrels for a year or two, now they are used to it. The mint has been coming back perennially so now the benefit is fresh mint for mojitos and it smells like mint when I weed eat around the garden. I've had better luck with sprinkling cayenne pepper around except that it has to be reapplied after heavy rain.
Sponsored

 
 




Top