ferry

A positive user experience is the basis for good design. When it comes to this electric high-speed ferry, the aim is that passengers shall feel that they are traveling in a transport system of the future, and enjoy it. Credit: SINTEF. Scientists have now found out how to optimize the functional and aesthetic character of the world's first fully electric high-speed ferry. The aim is to persuade passengers to opt for…

Building bridges over municipal waterways isn't a simple or inexpensive endeavor, which is why many cities instead look to ferries. With that fact in mind, a new autonomous electric passenger ferry is being trialled in Norway, and it's said to be the first of its kind.Designed by a team at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), the vessel is known as the milliAmpere 2. It's part of the university's larger Autoferry project.In a trial project that runs until the middle of next month, it is currently…

Fifty years down the line, what does Roxy Music mean to you? JungtheforemanA lot. Roxy Music were the first 10 years of my career, so it’s a huge part of my life. Some of my best work was done on those albums and I was lucky to be part of such a unique group. Andy Mackay had a classical background, Brian Eno electronic music, Phil Manzanera a guitarist with Latin American roots, Paul Thompson a great drummer, and Graham Simpson was a jazz aficionado. They all brought something special and there was a great sense of…

The problem with powering any form of transport with electricity is it requires heavy batteries. That’s a particular problem for boats, as they suffer drag in the water. To address this Candela uses hydrofoils, legs that extend down into the water and act like wings, propelling the boat up into the air as it picks up speed like an aircraft during takeoff. “In harbor the foils are fully retracted, so they’re protected,” Hasselskog says. “But then you lower the foils and hit the throttle and off it goes. The control system…

Last year, Swedish electric boat maker Candela announced plans to launch a foiling passenger ferry called the P-30. Now in the final design phase, the craft has been renamed the P-12 Shuttle and will hit the water as a foiling catamaran.The ferry's renaming reflects the company's change from noting passenger capacity to boat length, which also means that last year's P-12 water taxi has now evolved into the P-8 Voyager.The key specs appear to have changed little since last year, with the foiling ferry carrying up to 30…

Swedish marine technology company Candela is showing off the first images of its P-12 Shuttle flying electric ferry that is expected to begin production later this year. The flying electric boat rides on hydrofoils that lift it out of the water and help it consume considerably less energy than typical boats. The technology has already been proven on the company’s existing leisure boats and is now headed for commercial maritime use. The reduced drag of hydrofoils also allows much higher speeds, helping the boat…

An artist's impression of the Saint-Malo at sea. According to Brittany Ferries will have a battery capacity of 11.5 megawatt hours.Brittany FerriesA ship set to carry passengers between the U.K. and France in the next few years will be the largest hybrid-vessel ever built, according to operator Brittany Ferries.In a statement Tuesday, the company said the Saint-Malo vessel would have a battery capacity of 11.5 megawatt hours. This, the firm added, was "approximately double that typically used for hybrid propulsion in…