KEY POINTS:
One of the 59 vehicles hitting the road today at the start of the AA Energywise Rally gets a pre-race petrol top-up from Stella Stocks, the Automobile Association's general manager of technical services.
Contestants will be more focused on saving fuel than finishing the 1626km route through the North Island in the fastest time.
The rally, held every two years, is looking for a driver who has chosen a fuel-efficient car and drives it in a cost-saving manner.
V8 driver Greg Murphy joins the rally tomorrow in a Holden Astra CDTi. His big competition comes from Hyundai i30 driver Hans Tholstrup, who holds records for fuel economy runs around the world.
For a full list of drivers and cars, go to www.aaenergywiserally.org.nz
