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