Tesla batteries to power a passenger boat

Two Swedish companies announced that they are using Tesla batteries to convert a passenger boat to electric propulsion for some eco-friendly sight-seeing.

Eco Sightseeing, a company offering electric boat tours in Sweden, and El & Marinteknik, a specialist in electric maritime technology, announced this week that they have partnered on the electric conversion of a 1943 boat built for the English Royal Navy.

They announced that they believe the boat, Sylvia, is going to become “the first all-electric passenger boat powered by ‘second life’ Tesla batteries.”

The companies salvaged modules from two Tesla Model S battery packs to re-arrange into a new 190 kWh battery pack for the boat:

The boat, which used to be powered by a diesel engine, will now become all-electric with the Tesla batteries feeding an 85 kW electric motor.

They believe that the new all-electric boat, which apparently participated in the landings in Normandie in 1944, will be able to cruise for 14 hours straight before needing a charge.

Eco Sightseeing founder Elias Nilsson said that the project was inspired by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg translated from Swedish):

“No one is to small to make a difference” the founder Elias Nilsson started the company in 2019. “I wanted to accelerate the development of sustainable shipping in close urban waters. In Stockholm, there has been talks of converting commercial vessels for many years. Talk and talk but nothing has happened. I believe now is the time for action.”

The company didn’t offer a clear timeline for when the electric boat will be in operation.

Electrek’s Take

In recent years, I have seen a strong interest in electric boats, and it does seem that the Scandinavians, and maybe even especially the Swedes, are leading the way on that front.

For example, the X-Shore is another Swedish all-electric boat.

In Norway, we have seen a strong move to convert all the ferries to electric propulsion.

After all, Vikings know their boats pretty well, and Scandinavians have been leading the push for electric cars. It makes sense that they would also electrify maritime transportation.