The Finnish- language forum claims to be first of its kind in the world, and wants to provide an alternative to what its members perceive as foot-dragging in the oil and auto industries. It is working in the tradition of ‘ open source’ projects laid down by information technology. “ If we succeed it will create similar projects across the world with whom we can share what we know,” said project participant Jukka Jarvinen, adding that a similar scheme was being launched in
Electric cars have struggled to shake off a quirky image with tiny sales of often fantastical vehicles at prohibitive prices, or economy- sized golf carts with limited range. But because they are charged from the power grid and make more efficient use of energy, they produce fewer emissions and are seen as a promising clean- air alternative to petrol powered vehicles.
When it comes to promises, auto- makers are keen to capitalise on mounting consumer concern about high gasoline prices which are prompting trade- ins of gas- guzzling SUVs. But the Finnish group offers an outlet for fans who have so far been disappointed by the car industry. Some experts say it will still take 5-10 years for alternatives to petrol-fuelled cars to take root, given the capacity challenge for an auto industry that is adding 65 million new cars a year to a fleet of 1 billion.
The group is starting small. It has identified demand for more than 500 electric conversions in
