The HyNor Partnership and StatoilHydro inaugurated the  Norwegian hydrogen highway, HyNor  on 11 May 2009 at StatoilHydro’s new hydrogen station at Økern in Oslo. The “EVS Viking Rally” began in conjunction with the HyNor opening. The starting group in the rally included 14 hydrogen vehicles, two plug-in hybrids and 14 battery electric vehicles. The vehicles started in Oslo and reached the beginning of EVS 24 (Electrical Vehicle Symposium, 24th edition)  in Stavanger on 13 May. The tour visited in Porsgrunn, Grimstad, Arendal, Kristiansand, Lyngdal and Egersund. Another 10 battery electric vehicles joined the rally in Egersund. HyNor was opened by Norway’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Liv Signe Navarsete. H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway joined the first stage of the EVS Viking Rally, from Oslo to Lier, together with race car driver Henning Solberg. The governing mayor of Oslo, Erling Lae, opened StatoilHydro’s new hydrogen service station at Økern, and Navarsete opened the hydrogen station at StatoilHydro’s service station in Lier. The first hydrogen station on the 580-kilometer (360-mile) route between Oslo and Stavanger opened at Forus in Stavanger in 2006, the second in Porsgrunn in 2007, and now the two new stations are open in Oslo and Lier. HyNor includes 50 partners and manages a fleet of more than 50 hydrogen vehicles made by Mazda, Toyota and Think.