The trend towards decarbonization covers the entire range of mobility, including naval transport. In this sense, a company has launched a prototype of an electric vehicle for the naval industry which can reach the power and speed of fossil combustion engines and allows substantial savings in electricity and recharging costs.
What is the curious zero-emission vehicle?
In order to decarbonize maritime transport, a company dedicated to sustainable naval technology has manufactured a novel vehicle designed to transport tourists by water means.
This way, the New Zealand company Vessev has presented its VS-9 model which is the first electric hydrofoil for passenger transportation that revolutionizes the sector without carbon emissions.
The owners of the company assure that the boat has considerable advantages, among which they mention recharging in all the marinas where it arrives, in addition to reducing recharging times due to the size of its batteries and minimizing energy costs.
Definitions and utilities of the new sustainable aquatic vehicle
A hydrofoil or hydrofoil is a boat whose hull protrudes from the water surface when reaching a considerable speed by means of a wing from which it is supported, acting as the wing of the airplane, but to transit in a liquid medium.
The support technology is what differentiates it from traditional boats and allows it to achieve greater speed and traction in conflict with the force opposed by the density and waves of the water, rising from the surface.
This type of wings that take advantage of the laws of hydrodynamics to propel themselves It is also widely used in surfing and kitesurfing. It has been used in boats for a considerable time, although it is the first time it has been applied in a sustainable ship.
The VS-9 optimizes the foiling technology used by a vehicle like the one that competes in the America’s Cup, replicating its speed, but with less noise. The prototype will soon be marketed by the Fullers 360 company for its ferry fleet.
Technical characteristics of the VS-9
The boat measures about 9 meters long and can weigh about 4 tons when fully loaded. Besides, It reaches a sustainable speed of about 25 knots and a maximum of 30 knots and offers a range of 50 nautical miles.
The vehicle’s capacity is for 10 passengers and one crew member. It is supplied exclusively with electrical energy through a battery that charges up to 90 KV. The technology used by the VS-9 optimizes the traditional technology to resemble competition boats.
To do this, it incorporates a hydrofoil system modified by high-precision underwater fins that improve efficiency. This innovation allows you to be more stable in speed and be more resistant in adverse weather conditions.
Among the advantages offered by this vehicle is energy efficiency that reduces electricity consumption by up to 95%. This minimizes recharging times by up to 0.8 nautical miles of range per minute of charging. And the most important thing is that it does not generate emissions on the high seas.
Eric Laakmann, CEO of Vessev stated that, after two tests at sea The vehicle was subjected to a chase with a gasoline-powered craft, making the same movements and covering similar distances. The results were consistent.
The gasoline vehicle had spent 25 times more on fuel than the electricity cost of the VS-9. These figures confirm that an electric boat can be at the level of efficiency for competitions, cargo and people transportation. It is expected that the technology will be replicated for models with greater capacity such as ships and cruise ships to bring sustainable energies to naval transport.
