Torqeedo, exhibiting at 2018 Seawork International (Southampton, July 2nd to 4th) will demonstrate the latest developments in electric marine propulsion and battery products and showcase recent electric and hybrid workboat projects from around the world on Stand PO63.
The company’s co-founder and CEO, Dr Christoph Ballin, will also speak at the Seawork Commercial Marine Conference on July 3rd.
“The benefits of electric propulsion are obvious when compared to internal combustion engines,” said Ballin. “With electric, you have zero fuel consumption, zero emissions, decreased downtime and much lower maintenance costs, giving a very short return on investment.”
Torqeedo was established 13 years ago to develop and bring to market practical and affordable electric propulsion technology for marine applications. Since then, the company has sold more than 70,000 systems, ranging up to 80 kW, including outboard, inboard and steerable pod drives, in both all-electric and hybrid configurations. A pioneer in bringing automotive battery technology into the marine market, Torqeedo signed agreements with BMW to use the i8 and i3 lithium-ion battery products, marinized for safe and reliable operation in marine applications.
Projects to be featured:
ECOCAT is an aluminium 18m catamaran passenger ferry just launched by Metaltec Naval in Spain. The first-of-a-kind vessel runs 100 percent on solar-battery power and carries no auxiliary internal combustion engine for backup. It is powered by two 50 kW Torqeedo Deep Blue electric motors and eight 30.5 kWh BMW i3 high voltage batteries.
The city of Suzhou in eastern China recently deployed a fleet of 177 electric workboats, all powered by Torqeedo, to clean up trash and debris on its extensive canals and waterways. The fleet includes 18 9-metre steel catamarans with twin Cruise 4.0 outboards, 22 seven-meter steel catamarans with twin Cruise 2.0 outboards and 137 5/6-metre wooden boats with Cruise 2.0 outboards. The boats were designed and built by China Ship Scientific Research Center. They are owned by the Suzhou River Management Administration and operated by private contractors.
Torqeedo has supplied electric propulsion systems for a fleet of 15 new passenger ferries being built for Vinpearl’s newest resort development at Hoi An, Vietnam. The 9-metre FRP displacement crafts, built by Song Lo Shipbuilding in Nha Trang, are powered by Torqeedo Deep Blue 80 inboard electric motors with BMW i3 lithium batteries. The boats operate at average speeds of six knots with run times of about two hours between recharges.
The city of San Antonio, Texas has put into service a fleet of 43 electric passenger boats for its iconic River Walk downtown canal system. The 27-ft. vessels were designed by Metalab and built by Lake Assault Boats. Each is driven by a Torqeedo electric propulsion system, including a 20 hp electric outboard and 16 lithium batteries, with a built-in shore power connection for fast recharging. The boats cruise at about four knots and can normally operate up to 12 hours without recharging, according to the vessel operators.
