Norwegian EV success story on British television

Fifth Gear Recharged is a British motoring programme that had its first broadcast at the end of November 2021. The television series is a sequel to the motoring series Fifth Gear and Top Gear, but differs from the previous programmes in that they only test and discuss electric or rechargeable vehicles.

The team that visited Norway included the two presenters, and former race car drivers, Vicki Butler-Henderson and Jason Plato.

“It is very exciting what you have achieved here in Norway,“ Butler-Henderson said. The presenter was particularly impressed by the infrastructure for EV charging Norwegians have developed.

“We are nowhere close to that in the UK, but we will hopefully get there eventually. Our challenge is both the supply of electric power from renewable sources, and the lack of a well-developed power grid with sufficient capacity.“

For the feature from Norway, the television crew interviewed the managing director of Mer Norway, Nicholai Jørgensen, who talked about Norway’s EV policies, Norwegian hydropower and the development of charging stations across the country.

The team also visited the Hakavik hydropower station in the municipality of Øvre Eiker, a more than 100-year-old power plant that is protected by the National Heritage Board, but still in operation.

The Fifth Gear Recharged episode is now available on demand on Discovery+ and was aired 20 January in the UK on Discovery Quest. Dates for international broadcast have yet to be shared.

• Fifth Gear Recharged video on Youtube with Mer executive interview and visit at Hakavik power station: Norway’s Advanced EV Charging Network