Electric boats!

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Domenick

Domenick

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Watercraft make an interesting case for electrification and there are a number of battery-powered boats in development, and even a few for sale. Here is a luxury example of an upcoming craft.

The Hinckley Dasher is powered by a pair of i3 batteries supplying 40 kWh and is said to yield about 40 miles (34.76 nautical miles) of range at 20-25 miles per hour (which is a pretty good clip in a boat). Certainly, it will look good doing it too. I mean, look at it. LOOK.AT.IT!

Designed from the water up to be electric, it features a carbon-epoxy composite hull, complemented by a hand-painted, lightweight "Artisanal Teak" deck. Hinckley calls it a yacht but it's 28'6' length technically makes it something less than that. Still, looks fine, and its twin Torqeedo 80 hp motors should make reaching fast cruising speed quick and enjoyable.

Alset-Fwd-View-R04-High-Res-5.webp
 
A rather pleasant looking craft!

I'm in the process of converting a similar looking boat (albeit 1950's aluminium hulled construction) to electric, adopting 48v technology targeting 20-30kW with a 650Amp controller and Lithium Iron Phosphate battery pack series connected to offer 51v at 90A. I'm looking for advice on fundamental motor type such as AC or DC. Can anyone help?
 
Myles said:
A rather pleasant looking craft!

I'm in the process of converting a similar looking boat (albeit 1950's aluminium hulled construction) to electric, adopting 48v technology targeting 20-30kW with a 650Amp controller and Lithium Iron Phosphate battery pack series connected to offer 51v at 90A. I'm looking for advice on fundamental motor type such as AC or DC. Can anyone help?
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The trend over the past decade has been to move from DC to AC. DC has the advantage of upfront lower cost, but AC is generally more reliable with less/no maintenance. HPEVS offers some 48-volt motors, though they are air-cooled, so you may want to check with someone who has experience with them whether that would work in a boat application.

EV West also has some "marine" motors on its electric motor page, but they are higher voltage.
 
Greta Thunberg, the teenage environmental activist, came from Europe to US in a solar powered sail boat. While prime driving force is wind (and they do have a back up ICE), all the power for control, navigation systems, etc. are generated through solar panels plus hydro generators and stored. Not really a pure electric boat, but considering it has to cross the Atlantic, the fact that they do not have to use fossil fuels in this day and age (except as an emergency) is a step forward.



Greta Thunberg is about to sail across the Atlantic aboard Malizia II, a zero-emissions racing yacht that is retrofitted with solar panels and underwater turbines to cover its electricity needs. The 16-year-old climate activist will travel from the UK to New York to attend the U.N. Climate Action Summit (and Mashable's Social Good Summit). Although it will not be a very comfortable journey, sailing is the only way Thunberg can travel to the U.S. without adding to her carbon footprint. Here's more on Thunberg's upcoming two-week journey.
 
Electric Boating is a passion that I started probably 15 years ago. I currently have a 48 Volt Elco EP20. Great motor but pairing it with the best battery is a challenge. I started a YouTube channel back last year and have some videos uploaded about the Electric Outboard. I would love to get more in depth with batteries that would be capable of run times for the duration of the day but economical to consumers. Might take 10+ years but I believe it is heading in that direction. Great Forum and look forward to picking up some knowledge from everyone.
 
There is a surprising amount work in elelctric boats. Ferries and other short distance boats are natural candidates but we have a lot of other solar powered electric boats. Many more boats are crossing the Atlantic including one that went around the world Here are few interesting ones. This is one place where we can really use both solar and electric.


This is a nice futuristic looking spaceship (sorry boat) that went around the world

1280px-Planetsolar-miami-12.jpg

PlanetSolar, the world's largest solar-powered boat and the first ever solar electric boat to circumnavigate the globe (in 2012).



Here is another one that looks so different
Untersee-RA66_Helio.jpg

RA66 Helio is a solar-powered 20 m catamaran cruising on the Untersee, a part of Lake Constance. It is based in Radolfzell, Germany.


Looks very conventional. There are many electric ferries but this looks a little different
1920px-Ferry_Ampere_Sognefjord.jpg

The Ampere, battery-electric ferry in regular operation in Norway
 

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Wow, I had no idea BC Ferries were going this way. Didn't hear anything on the news... Hope this works out better than Glen Clark's fast ferries from a couple decades ago...

Will be very interested to learn what type and size of batteries these things will use.
 
R P said:
Wow, I had no idea BC Ferries were going this way. Didn't hear anything on the news... Hope this works out better than Glen Clark's fast ferries from a couple decades ago...

Will be very interested to learn what type and size of batteries these things will use.
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Just for some of the local runs for now and the immediate future. Infrastructure will have to catch up before any consideration on the major routes.
I am sure there will be more details released on the packs etc. once in operation.
What would be cool is on board EVSE charging while on route, but that is probably something way beyond the present intention.
 
Both BC and in the Seattle area, different approaches, new vs conversions followed by new


https://plugboats.com/worlds-busiest-ferry-systems-going-electric-hybrid/

World’s busiest ferry systems going electric hybrid
November 8, 2019 Jeff Butler 1069 Views 0 Comments Canada, Damen, Siemens, USA, Vigor

Good news from the west coast of North America where the world’s second and fourth busiest ferry services – in Washington state and the province of British Columbia (BC) – announced purchases of electric hybrid ferries within days of each other.

Washington-State-BC-Ferry-Map.jpg
Together the services carry 46.5 million passengers a year and service 67 ports with a fleet of 65 passenger-and-car carrying vessels. The whole area – the USA side is known as the Pacific Northwest and the Canadian side as the Lower Mainland – has a population of between 7 and 8 million. (Hong Kong’s Star Ferry system is busiest: 26M/yr, NY’s Staten Island 3rd busiest: 23.9M)

Washington State Ferries on the USA side is starting by converting its 3 largest ferries – the Tacoma, Puyallup and Wenatchee – to electric hybrid. They each carry up to 2500 passengers and generally run routes of 6 nautical miles in and around Seattle. BC Ferries is ordering four new vessels to add to the order of 2 hybrids it placed last year. These are callled Island Class ferries because they run from the mainland to an archipelago of nearby small islands.

Norway has been the leader in electrifying ferries for the past few years, and the world’s largest all-electric ferry just completed its maiden voyage in Denmark, but it looks like North America is catching up!.............

The challenge faced by both ferry organizations is not the boats, but the charging systems. As BC Ferries CEO Mark Collins told the CBC news network “”They’re designed to go full electric when the shore infrastructure permits. Perhaps a better way to look at them is to say these are all-electric ferries in which we have temporarily installed a hybrid system.”

Washington State Ferries spokesman told the Seattle weekly that to be able to run an electric fleet, charging stations have to be designed and built, and the state has to coordinate that work with various utilities providers.
 
R P said:
Subaru to sell only EVs by mid 2030.
https://www.motor1.com/news/393785/subaru-sell-evs-only-mid-2030/

And here is their first BEV, a new Crosstrek EV (with Toyota collaboration), supposed to be ready for sale in 2022. Will be nice to have a small true offroad capable SUV on the market. And with a Subaru/Toyota pedigree!! Should be a great car.
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^^^ Wrong thread
But while I am here...
The two new hybrid ferries arrived to Victoria docks for final preparation and are due to be commissioned in 4 to 5 days:
https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/new-electric-bc-ferries-vessels-arrive-in-victoria-1.4773944 :)
 
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There is a guy living in the UK who was a frequent post-er to the old TheEEStory forum, and who occasionally posts here as "Excoriator". He's a hardcore EV basher.

Oddly enough, despite his opinion of EV passenger cars, he likes to brag about his electrified "narrowboat", or canal boat. That's "a thing" in some parts of the British Isles, where parts of the old canal system have been maintained, mostly for pleasure boating. I think from what he has said it uses a DC motor and deep cycle lead-acid batteries. Whether or not it would be worth upgrading to li-ion battery pack, I have no idea. For those doing EV conversion it used to be said that if you had to replace the lead-acid batteries twice, then it would have been cheaper in the long run to buy a li-ion pack. However, that was some years ago and li-ion batteries have come down in price rather far since then.

Below is narrowboat in the UK with EV drive. Unlike Excoriator's (he plugs in to charge his boat), this one uses solar panels for charging:

image.jpg


Article on the above boat here.
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electriceddy said:
I am so looking forward to the arrival of these 2 hybrid electric ferries that are days away from arriving:
https://www.cheknews.ca/new-island-bound-hybrid-electric-ferries-clear-panama-canal-632887/
Hopefully the charging infrastructure is not far behind as four more are soon to be delivered.
The twin props and noise reduction should help reduce the disturbances to our local killer whales :):
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/200-million-deal-for-four-more-electric-hybrid-b-c-ferries
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They now have names:
https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/new...ristened-with-new-names-in-victoria-ceremony/
Hopefully Island Aurora and Island Discovery are commissioned and ready for the mid May operational timetable.
 
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