Electric motors are slowly gaining ground on power boats. Hybrid cars have been on world markets for 15 years, but the combination of internal combustion engine and electric motor is only just now making a breakthrough among boaters, Yle reports.
The first commercial Finnish hybrid boat is a nine-metre cabin cruiser, produced in Kuopio, that runs on a diesel engine and an electric motor. Using the diesel, the boat has a cruising speed of 16 knots, around 30 km/h, and with the electric motor, close to 4 knots, about 7 km/h. It can run for up to nine hours on its batteries.
The boat's batteries can be charged up at dockside, and are recharged when the diesel engine is in operation. The boat is also fitted with roof-top solar panels that provide some of the charge. The lithium batteries weigh around 200 kg and boost the price of the vessel by tens of thousands of euros.
The Helsinki Boat Show opened at the Helsinki Fair Centre on Sunday.
The first commercial Finnish hybrid boat is a nine-metre cabin cruiser, produced in Kuopio, that runs on a diesel engine and an electric motor. Using the diesel, the boat has a cruising speed of 16 knots, around 30 km/h, and with the electric motor, close to 4 knots, about 7 km/h. It can run for up to nine hours on its batteries.
The boat's batteries can be charged up at dockside, and are recharged when the diesel engine is in operation. The boat is also fitted with roof-top solar panels that provide some of the charge. The lithium batteries weigh around 200 kg and boost the price of the vessel by tens of thousands of euros.
The Helsinki Boat Show opened at the Helsinki Fair Centre on Sunday.