Electric boats

When we first embarked on our Fully Charged journey — 10 years and 553 episodes ago — we were especially attracted to electric cars and the clean energy that could potentially power them. Over time, and to our occasional astonishment, the adaptability of the humble battery has opened up new applications as easily as a swiss-army knife. Aviation is something we never thought we would see in our lifetimes, and it’s still in its infancy, but a wave of E-boats are about to make their bow. Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, is known as “the Venice of the North” and with its thousands of waterways is outlawing diesel boats from 2025. Naturally, other European Cities are set to follow. When we were invited to be part of an Ocean Clean-Up organized by AIM ZERO in Sweden, we didn’t hesitate.

When six-time Powerboat World Champion Erik Stark climbs aboard a boat, it’s often to rocket toward a gold medal at around 150 mph (240 km/h). But today we’re all getting a chance to go along for a ride as he tests out a very different type of boat: Candela’s electric hydrofoil boat.

An all-electric boat equipped with “second-life” Renault Zoe battery packs has launched as part of Seine Alliance’s fleet operating in Paris.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Ferries are rapidly adopting electric powertrains as the first few all-electric ferries in operation are proving to be doing an excellent job. Now we’ve learned of a new all-electric ferry, reportedly the world’s largest all-electric ferry, completing its maiden trip.
Expand
Expanding
Close

The world’s largest plug-in hybrid ship has hit the water for the first time with a massive battery capacity equivalent to 50 Tesla battery packs.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Nidec, a Japanese manufacturer of electric motors and other systems, announced that it has installed an electric power system inside a 165′ Wider ‘mega yacht’.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Konrad Bergstrom, the Swedish tech millionaire behind the new electric boat startup X Shore, says that he was inspired by Tesla to create its lineup of electric boats.

The company recently unveiled its latest creation: the X Shore Eelex 8000.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Niagara Falls’ famous Maid of the Mist boat tour is getting the first two all-electric passenger vessels constructed in the US. The new zero-emission boats are expected to debut in mid-September this year.

Expand
Expanding
Close

While we all like to think of the more glamorous parts of a day out boating, it’s not all fun and games. After nature calls and it’s time to hit the head, that sewage must go somewhere. Less scrupulous large boat operators might opt for the easy solution and turn the sea into their own personal “dump”. But that can cause major ecological damage. Instead, responsible boaters call on sewage pump-out boats, whose thankless job it is to, well, pump-out sewage from boats’ onboard tanks.

And while these sewage boats are often as dirty as their cargo, the first solar-powered electric sewage pump-out boat is now in operation using the latest in electric boat technology.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Despite looking more like a race car or quadcopter drone, the DeepFlight Dragon is actually a fully capable underwater electric submersible. And if you’ve been looking for the perfect addition to your superyacht, then look no further. Who needs a tender when you could be skimming the sea floor instead?

Expand
Expanding
Close

Torqeedo is an industry leader in electric motors for aquatic applications. The company is known for producing a wide range of motors from 500 W to 50 kW.

Now that power is doubling, as Torqeedo has announced their new line of electric motors rated for 100 kW, along with a number of new smaller motors as well.

Expand
Expanding
Close

In 2019, New York City will temporarily close the L train subway – a crucial line moving commuters between Manhattan and Brooklyn. The city hopes to alleviate the inevitable commuting nightmare with alternative bus routes and even rentable electric bicycles. However, a new electric ferry service combined with a complete electric vehicle transportation suite could help take the edge off commuters’ struggles.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Ground transport is currently leading the transition to electric propulsion, but maritime transport is now starting to see its share of electrification and Rolls-Royce wants in.

The British power system company is launching a new battery system to electrify ships.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Electric water sports is definitely a niche industry. Don’t get me wrong, there are some awesome electric watercraft out there, including electric boats powered by BMW i3 batteries, electric trucking company-owned electric jet skis even more radical options such as an electric bicycle with hydrofoils to let you pedal across the water.

But if you’re looking for something in between those options, something with the speed of a sport boat or jet ski combined with the thrill of a motorbike, all designed for skimming the surface of the water, then Swedish company Awake might have you covered.
Expand
Expanding
Close

The Jaguar Vector Racing has been working for the past year to convert a speedboat to electric propulsion by leveraging Formula E technology and it has now broken electric speed records with the battery-powered boat.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Earlier this morning, we reported on the Norwegian Parliament acting to halt emissions from cruise ships and ferries in the Norwegian world heritage fjords.

Now we’ve learned of a new all-electric ship that could be perfect to take over the traffic in the fjords without polluting the air and it’s going into operation in Norway by the end of the month.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Norway’s majestic fjords have become popular tourist attractions over the years. For example, more than 300.000 cruise passenger visited Geiranger last year and as a result of it, the local air pollution has become a periodical health hazard.

Now the Norwegian Parliament has acted to halt emissions from cruise ships and ferries in the Norwegian world heritage fjords – making them zero-emission zones by 2026 where only electric ships will be able to go.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Robert Allan, a naval engineering firm best known for its specialty-use boats, like tug and barge transportation, has unveiled a new all-electric pilot boat to ferry pilots to their boats emission free.
Expand
Expanding
Close

The operators of the first all-electric ferry in Norway are starting to get some good data on the vehicle and it’s nothing short of impressive.

They claim that the all-electric ferry cuts emission by 95% and costs by 80% compared to fuel-powered counterparts and the results are attracting customers.
Expand
Expanding
Close

The Dutch company Port-Liner is building two giant all-electric barges dubbed the ‘Tesla ships‘. The company announced that the vessels will be ready by this autumn and will be inaugurated by sailing the Wilhelmina canal in the Netherlands.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Ground transport is currently leading the transition to electric propulsion, but maritime transport is now starting to see its share of electrification.

We have recently reported on several large ferries going all-electric and now a massive cargo ship in China has been officially launched with a battery powertrain.
Expand
Expanding
Close