Finland hopes to build world’s first carbon-neutral green highway

While it’s easy for us to suggest that the car-buying public should adopt cleaner, alternative-fuel vehicles, the fact that a supporting infrastructure for many of these new technologies does not yet exist makes widespread adoption uncertain. Finland hopes to change the infrastructure-free trend by building out a carbon-neutral green highway that will feature charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) and biofuel pumps along an 81-miles stretch of road spanning from the city of Turku to Vaalimaa near Finland’s Russian border.

The proposed green highway could be completed by 2016 at an estimated cost of 700 million euros ($890 million U.S. at the current exchange rate). Loviisa city official, Aki Marjasvaara, believes that a portion of the costs will be covered by large companies such as Fortum, Neste Oil and Ensto. The green highway’s necessary electricity will come from renewable resources and officials are even discussing the possibility of “smart” lighting that would only activate when vehicles are present. Marjasvaara remarked on the projects significance, stating:

The aim is to create the model for an ecological highway that could be used even on an international level. No other such project exists. This would set an example to the world.

City officials will release a detailed report next March and, if approved, construction on the green highway would begin next summer.

AutoblogGreen

=> Finland hopes to build world’s first carbon-neutral green highway.

Electric RaceAbout is Finnish(d), unveiled in Helsinki

Electric RaceAbout – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Finnish X-Prize contender from the RaceAbout Association is finally, well, completed. The Electric RaceAbout (ERA) had its first test-driving session a few days ago and, with its virginal 100 kilometers on the odometer, was presented to the public at the Cable Factory in Helsinki last night. With the formalities finalized, the four-wheel-drive electric sportscar is now headed to the U.S. for this month’s “shakedown stage” of theProgressive Automotive X-Prize competition.

Said to be “paving the way for creating an electric car industry in Finland”, the majority of the 60 companies and institutions involved with the project are from that Nordic country. One of the technologies involved are the direct-drive motors the ERA has powering each wheel. The design, developed specifically for electric vehicles by Lappeenranta University of Technology and also shared by Valmet’s EVA concept, allow builders to forgo the use of a mechanical gearbox. To get a sneak-preview of the two-seater in motion, hit the jump for several videos showing the development process and some footage from the track tests.

AutoblogGreen

=> Electric RaceAbout is Finnish(d), unveiled in Helsinki.