A citizens’ initiative calling for changes to how electric and hybrid car batteries can be repaired in Finland gathered the 50,000 signatures needed for parliamentary consideration in just one day.
A rapid response from the public
The initiative, titled the right to safe repair of electric and hybrid cars and the reuse of battery modules, opened for signatures on the Kansalaisaloite.fi website on Monday afternoon. According to those responsible for the initiative, the required number of signatures had already been reached by Tuesday evening.
The website itself struggled under the load on Monday evening, as signatures came in at a rapid pace.
A rule blocking reuse of batteries in repairs
The initiative criticises current official guidance, under which independent repair shops are not allowed to use a battery from a used or crashed car as it is to repair another vehicle. Under the guidance, batteries from cars headed for scrapping are instead classified as battery waste.
The initiative’s main demand is that independent repair shops also be allowed to repair the batteries and electrical systems of electric and hybrid cars.
What happens next
The collected signatures will now go through a verification count, after which the list of names will be submitted to the Finnish Parliament.
