Mazda, which has been fiddling with hydrogen cars for a long time, is sending some hydrogen-fueled RX-8 sports cars to Norway.

Norway?

Yep. Norway loves the stuff enough to build a hydrogen highway, and Mazda is more than happy to send them some cars that run on it.

Although there's a lot of debate over hydrogen's near-term viability, the possibilities it presents are, to paraphrase J. Robert Oppenheimer, just too technically sweet to overlook. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and it creates the opportunity for true zero-emissions propulsion. But there are some big hurdles to making it work - the distribution infrastructure alone is a big one - and a lot of people say hydrogen remains at least 40 years away.

Most of the major automakers have jumped on the battery electric bandwagon, but Honda remains fiercely committed to hydrogen and has a fleet of Clarity FCX cars running around. BMW is still pushing hydrogen internal combustion engines, and General Motors, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz are among the automakers also developing fuel cell vehicles.

Mazda's arrived at the party pretty early, developing its first hydrogen rotary engine in 1991 and a hydrogen-powered MX-5 Miata two years later. More recently, it's been working on an H2-powered version of the highly enjoyable RX-8 and has been winter testing the vehicle. Now, it has joined the Norwegian government have upped the ante considerably.

Mazda's first Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicle was developed specifically for participation in HyNor, Norway's national hydrogen project. HyNor will establish a network of hydrogen filling stations along a 360-mile stretch of highway between Stavanger and Oslo. Mazda and HyNor began their collaboration on the project in November 2007 and started validation of the RX-8 Hydrogen RE's driving performance on Norwegian public roads in October.

The first RX-8 Hydrogen RE will make its public debut May 11 at the official opening of HyNor's hydrogen filling stations. The car will undergo certification to meet local standards, and Mazda plans to start leasing the cars in Norway this summer.

Photos: Mazda

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