Photo: Øyvind Skar, NTB.

- This has never been done before, and that is partly why we did it - to show that it is possible to drive emissions free from Oslo through Europe, says Marius Bornstein, technical advisor for hydrogen at ZERO. He was one of the drivers who drove the two Hyundai Ix35 FCEV hydrogen cars through the heart of Europe.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are being developed by major international car manufacturers like Daimler, Toyota, GM and Hyundai. The vehicles have fuel cells which convert hydrogen to electricity and water. The electricity is used to power an electric motor in the vehicle, while the only byproduct is water – clean enough to drink it.

Photo: Øyvind Skar, NTB. This is what a hydrogen filling station can look like, in Freiburg, Germany. Here with solar power supplying the tanking system.

However, hydrogen has not been a practical option for most people to drive, for one simple reason: A lack of filling stations. However, as more and more vehicle manufacturers and others have begun to make use of hydrogen, hydrogen fueling stations have also begun popping up around the world, including in California, Canada and Japan, and more stations are planned worldwide for early marked introduction. The hydrogen car team from ZERO – the Zero Emission Resource Organization – needed no other excuse to fasten their seat belts and hit the road, emissions free.

Here is some coverage we got on the trip in the media:

Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/06/norways-zero-team-crosses-europe-in-hydrogen-cars-without-a-bac/

Gas2: http://gas2.org/2012/05/07/hydrogen-hyundais-cross-europe-longest-hydrogen-journey-ever/

For those of you lucky enough to understand German, see here:

Zeit Online: http://www.zeit.de/auto/2012-04/brennstoffzelle-weltrekord/seite-1

Focus Online: http://www.focus.de/auto/news/geplante-rekordfahrt-durch-halb-europa-mit-dem-wasserstoffauto_aid_745211.html

-       We are so happy that some of the greatest rally drivers are joining us for the Zero Rally, Gøril Andreassen, head of the Transport in ZERO says. – The guys that are active in rally are important stakeholders in the use of environmental friendly cars, and it is such a positive vibe that the young drivers are setting a good environmental friendly example.

Mads Østberg won his first World Rally Championship (WRD) this April, in Argentina. For more information about Mads go to his web page or follow him on twitter: @MadsOstberg

 

Marius Aasen is a young and promising rally driver. Read more about him on his web page or follow him on twitter: @MariusAasen

Both teams will compete in NAF (Norwegian Automobile Association)- sponsored cars.

Also follow Zero on twitter: @zeronorge and use the #zerorally12 for updated information

As we get closer to June, the pieces of this year’s Zero Rally puzzle are starting to fit together. This year’s rally will be supported by two seminars on environmental transportation, public events and networking possibilities.

The Zero Rally will start off in Östersund, Sweden, with a “lunch to lunch” seminar, 13th to 14th of June. The topic of the seminar is electric vehicle charging infrastructure, focusing on ”best practices”, regional possibilities, knowledge and inspiration.

The start of the actual car rally will be at lunchtime on the 14th of June. We will then start our race towards Trondheim, through beautiful Swedish and Norwegian scenery. Our overnight stay will be in Åre, where participants and sponsors will be treated to a big dinner and party. On the 15th of June we will continue our journey towards Trondheim, crossing the border into Norway, a charging stop in Meråker and finishing in Trondheim around 4-5 pm.

While the rally enters Norway, ZERO and Green Highway in collaboration with Technoport will host the ”Technoport Zero Rally Talks” in Trondheim, on the future of environmental transportation. 15 minute talk will be held on trends within electrical cars, hydrogen cars, bio fuels and general trends in Scandinavia on environment, mobility and transportation. Stay tuned for more information closer to the event. 

When all the cars have reached the finish line, the Zero Rally team will host an award ceremony where the winner of the Zero Rally 2012 will be announced. The event also includes awards in subclasses, for example the best politician and the most energy effective car.

On Saturday, June 16th, we invite everyone to a climate car party in the city centre of Trondheim, at Torvet. Here, the public will get to know electric, hydrogen and biofuel cars, with ample opportunities for test driving. Other relevant actors from the region will also participate at the event.

We are looking forward to four amazing days filled with exciting and fun information on how we all can in an easier, better and more environmental friendly way can move around in Mid-Scandinavia in the close future.

We have already seen the first results of this collaboration when we signed Ecar Sweden as a sponsor last week. This week the company ABB also was confirmed as sponsor. ABB and Ecar Sweden joins in with our other great supporters; NAF, Coca-Cola and Transnova.

For more information on ECar Sweden, please see http://ecarsweden.com/

 Wondering what the Zero Rally are, see here

“Green Highway” runs between Trondheim, Östersund and Sundsvall, and is the world’s longest EV car highway. 

- The fact that Zero Rally will run here is an important acknowledgment of the establishment of a fossil free corridor from Norway to Sweden, says project director for Green Highway in Trondheim kommune (municipality), Kjell Inge Stellander. – Our goal is that Green Highway will show the world how we can move around fossil free in the future. 

The environmental organisation ZEROs CEO Einar Håndlykken says that Zero Rally demonstrates that modern, climate friendly cars can perform on the same level as old school fossil fuel-cars. – The rally is a unique opportunity for climate car enthusiasts to show their own skills of driving in a tough competition with professional rally drivers, says Håndlykken.

The collaboration between the partners will lift both Green Highway and the Zero Rally into a new league, Kjell Inge Stellander says. 

From Östersund to Trondheim

Zero Rally 2012 will start in Östersund, Thursday the 14th of June, with the finish line in Trondheim the next day. The winner in this rally is first of all not “Green Highway” or ZERO, Stellander finishes, but the environment. 

For more information about Zero Rally or Green Highway, contact Gøril Andreassen in ZERO,  +47 995 62 669 eller Kjell Inge Stellander, +47 917 62 828.

Andreas and Andreas in front of Oslo city hall with the trophy. Foto: Eirik Helland Urke.

Electric cars - Touring class: 

Team Andreas

 with Andreas Mikkelsen and Andreas Nergaard (Tesla Roadster)

Electric cars - Urban class: 

Team Volvo 3 

with Kenneth Johnsrød and Morten Erik Abrahamsen (Volvo C30)

Plug-in hybrids: 

Team Toyota 

with Marius Aasen and Marlene Engan (Toyota Prius Plug in hybrid)

Hydrogen class: 

Team Hyundai 

with Jeongbae Lee and Yoin Song (Hyundai Hydrogen ix35)

Biofuels class: 

Team Biogass100

 with Magnar Bolme and Audun Aspelund (Volkswagen, Passat Ecofuel 1.4 TS)

See "Updates" for the complete results.

The ‘2011 World Car of the year’ will race more than 600km and face various obstacles in the three-day race, between the 7th and 9th of June, making its way from the start at the Olympic arena Vikingskipet in Hamar to the finish line in Oslo. 

 - We are very excited to see Nissan Leaf in Zero Rally, says head of department for transport of ZERO, Gøril Andreassen.

And Nissan Leaf, which will be available on the norwegian market i october, arrives in Oslo with the highest level of safety scoring in the Euro NCAP test. The zero-emission vehicle received a five-star rating, the first electric vehicle ever to earn this distinction. 

Nissan LEAF earned an 89% rating for adult safety, an 83% rating for child protection and an 84% rating for its on-board safety assist systems, which include Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and a speed limiter as standard. The compact family hatchback also earned a higher-than-average 65% score for pedestrian safety, thanks in part to the low nose design and the comparative lack of ‘hard points’ under the bonnet. 

 - Nissan LEAF has gone through more tests than any car we have ever produced. On top of the conventional offset barrier and side impact tests, we have tested the electrical system in every way to ensure it can never be overcharged and that the isolation programme works as intended in a crash, said Jerry Hardcastle, Nissan’s vice president of vehicle design & development.

- We can now confirm that we will be using the Viking Ship, officially known as Hamar Olympic Hall as the base camp, says Zero Rallys general Manager, Ina Bjørnrå.

The Viking Ship opened in 1993, it was built as the speed skating rink for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

You can register to participate in the Zero Rally 2011 now!

- We are also priviliged to use Vålerbanen, which is a top driving educational venue and the family park Hunderfossen, Bjørnrå says.

This will make the rally perfectly suited for testing the performance of the vehicles and the skills of the teams. The participants will be challenged through several special stages along the route: Testing manoeuvrability, fuel economy, acceleration and other vital attributes.

A complete version of the route will be released as soon as it is finalised. This is therefore not to be considered final and it can be subject to changes.

We are proud to invite you to participate in this event, a rally for battery electric, plug-in hybrid, bio powered and hydrogen vehicles. Arranged under the supervision of the FIA representative Norwegian Automobile-Sport Federation, the 600+ km rally starts in Hamar on June 7 and finishes two days later in Oslo.

Register now!

The Event

The route runs through the scenic landscape of Eastern Norway, through mountainous and forested landscapes. Making the rally perfectly suited for testing the performance of the vehicles and the skills of the teams. The participants will be challenged through several special stages along the route: Testing manoeuvrability, fuel economy, acceleration and other vital attributes.

Participation

The rally is open for all roadworthy hydrogen, electric, bio powered and plug in hybrid vehicles. 

Registration is now open, with a deadline for registration on May 1st. 

Register now!

For any questions, contact:

General Manager:

Ina Bjørnrå:

ina@zero.no

90 57 81 29

In the meanwhile, enjoy the video from last years Zero Rally:

They drove a Tesla Roadster for NAF, who also won last year, but in a different class. This year they were winner of Class 1 for electric cars.

They arrived in Stavanger, where they were well received by Gøril Andreassen from Zero and deputy mayor of Stavanger, Bjørg Tysdal Moe.

- This feels very good, "said Mats Ostberg, when he learned that he had won.

- I did not know what to expect, as I have done anything like this before, but once you join, you want to win, he smiles.

The NAF team held the lead for the last half of the race, but Østberg said that they were very uncertain if they would be able to keep the lead.

- It started out pretty bad for our first day. Then we managed to take the lead but we were uncertain whether we had managed to hold it, he says.

- So it was a great relief when it became clear that we had!

He is very happy with the cooperation with partner and co-pilot Veronica Engan.

- This has been a bit of a love ride for us, he said.

Gunnar and Karoline Birkenfelt came in second, for the Ferdinand Motor team.Last year Gunnar won the electric vehicle class. This year they drove a Tesla Roadster.

- I'll just make sure that Mats drives as well as Marlene did last year, and I'm sure I'll bring the victory back to NAF, she said before starting out.

Mats Østberg is one of the best WRC-drivers in Norway. This year he will contest an eight round programme with the Adapta World Rally Team, using the same model of Impreza Petter Solberg had been expecting to drive.

- I'm really looking forward to this race, he said.

- The most exiting part will be driving such a strong zero emission car as the Tesla. It will be different, but just as exciting as the WC, he said.

They are just a little ahead of team Ferdinan Motor with Gunnar and Karoline Birkenflet driving another Tesla Roadster.

" in your lefthand menu.

contact Gøril Andreassen at +47 995 62 669