Mazda Motor Corporation and HyNor (Hydrogen Road of Norway) are to collaborate in the development of hydrogen fuel and hydrogen vehicles. HyNor intends to purchase 30 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicles commencing in summer 2008. For Mazda, these will be the first hydrogen vehicles sold outside of Japan.

HyNor is a unique Norwegian joint industry initiative to demonstrate real life implementation of a hydrogen energy infrastructure along a route of 580 kilometers from Oslo to Stavanger in Norway. The project comprises all steps required to develop a hydrogen society with adaptation to local conditions. The joint project is planning for various means of transport: buses, taxis and private cars and varying types of transport systems: urban, inter-city, regional and even long-distance national transport.

In August 2006, Mazda attended a ceremony which commemorated the opening of Norway’s first hydrogen filling station created by HyNor. This is also where the first on-road demonstration of a RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicle outside of Japan was held.