Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc., announced last week that it has shipped eleven hydrogen-fueled Prius hybrid vehicles to Miljobil Grenland AS, a participant and vehicle provider to the Norwegian Hydrogen Highway (HyNor).

HyNor is a joint plan between the Norwegian government and industry participants in creating a "Hydrogen Highway" between Oslo, the capital, and western Norway's port of Stavanger.  The HyNor plan calls for five refueling stations along the main highway from Oslo to Stavanger, the center of the national petroleum industry that makes Norway the world's third largest oil exporter, behind Saudi Arabia and Russia.

By 2009, HyNor plans to have enough fueling stations along the 580-kilometer (360 mile) route to allow hydrogen-powered vehicles to routinely make the trip. The ultimate goal is to extend the hydrogen infrastructure network through much of Scandinavia under the Scandinavian Hydrogen Highway Partnership, a joint organization formed by HyNor, Sweden's HyFuture, and Denmark's Hydrogen Link.

The Hydrogen Hybrid package for the Prius includes Quantum's electronic multi-point hydrogen injection system, turbocharger and intercooler, Quantum's compressed hydrogen fuel storage module and hydrogen fuel delivery system, and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) crashworthy design and validation.  The eleven vehicles in this shipment were equipped with an extended range package, which was engineered by Quantum to provide additional hydrogen storage capacity and a resulting 30% increase in vehicle driving range between refueling.  

In addition to performing in specified starting conditions and meeting certain drivability specifications, these vehicles were designed to meet European safety standards, including the successful completion of crash testing to verify the safety of the converted vehicles.