New Zealand's first fully-electric commuter ferry
Sunday, 16 December 2018
Wellington's East by West ferry company is set to launch the southern hemisphere's fully-electric commuter boat, which could be in service by late next year.
Once the company has spruced up its two existing boats, it also promised to add extra trips on its service between Queens Wharf and Days Bay.
Managing director Jeremy Ward said the $4 million fully-electric boat should be built by December next year, and enter service shortly afterwards.
It will be built by the Wellington Electric Boat Building Company, set up by East by West in the Lower Hutt suburb of Seaview.
**READ MORE:
* City-to-airport ferry mooted
* Seatoun ferry service continues
The 19-metre, 135-passenger boat, which will become the company's 'flagship' ferry, will add three or four additional round trip services a day at peak times, Ward said.
'The new vessel will be powered by twin electric engines, which will enable a 20-knot operational speed and three return back-to-back peak-hour trips on one charge, before a second one-hour charge is required.'
The boat will start operating once testing is completed, enabling the company's two existing boats to be given spruce-ups at separate times.
Once that's happened, there will be three boats in service.
The ferry will have a hull design different to conventional diesel-powered vessels, with a displacement hull made from flat carbon fibre panels and only the lower hulls needing moulding.
'The new ferry will cut through the harbour like the proverbial hot knife through butter.'
The company was in discussions to partner with a major New Zealand electricity generator, Ward said.
There was already interest in the boat from within New Zealand and overseas, and Ward expected that to lead to further order requests.
Meanwhile, the company was still discussing plans to introduce a daily city-to-airport service, which would operate between Queens Wharf and a redeveloped Miramar Wharf.
East by West ferries has been operating on Wellington Harbour for almost 30 years.