Electric vehicle rally sets off in Switzerland

Electric vehicle rally sets off in Switzerland
Driver Supercop from team "Maroc" gets out of his Microlino, during the start of the Wave Trophy 2017 tour, on Friday, June 9, 2017, in Zurich, Switzerland. The World Advanced Vehicle Expedition rally, now in its seventh edition, is the brainchild of an environmentally-minded Swiss former teacher who wants to promote plug-in vehicles over carbon-spewing combustion engines. The rally takes the teams over 1,600 kilometers in 8 days. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

Drivers in scores of electric vehicles, some in superhero or other quirky get-ups, have embarked on a weeklong trek around Switzerland as part of a green, grassroots movement to draw attention to the fight against global warming.


The World Advanced Vehicle Expedition rally, now in its seventh edition, is the brainchild of an environmentally-minded Swiss former teacher who wants to promote plug-in vehicles over carbon-spewing combustion engines.

The rally takes the teams over 1,600 kilometers (995 miles) in eight days. It started Friday in downtown Zurich with a ceremony among EV enthusiasts and no small number of gawking passers-by.

A total of 112 trucks, cars, motorbikes and three-wheeled contraptions somewhere in-between, all electric-powered, are participating in what's billed as the largest electric vehicle rally of its kind in the world.

Electric vehicle rally sets off in Switzerland
Electric vehicles are presented during the start of the Wave Trophy 2017 tour, on Friday, June 9, 2017, in Zurich, Switzerland. The World Advanced Vehicle Expedition rally, now in its seventh edition, is the brainchild of an environmentally-minded Swiss former teacher who wants to promote plug-in vehicles over carbon-spewing combustion engines. The rally takes the teams over 1,600 kilometers in 8 days. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

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