Thread: Electric ferries - good idea?

Originally Posted by No.3

Here we go, comparing apples with effluent. Electric prime movers in a mine site are powered by what? Yep diesel. Electric motors powering ships - yep diesel. We had electric powered ships in WWII, yep they cocked up and blew up with relentless monotony. There are advantages to electric, namely for ships the shorter driveline allows for flatter shaft angles which is more hydraulically efficient. But, they fail more often due to the magic smoke getting toey and deciding to piss off...

I have electric and battery tools too. And while I do use them a lot, if I'm doing real work I get out a real tool and it's got enough balls to do the job - I couldn't lift the equivalent tool with a battery inbulit into it!

ok so lets tal khand drills
in my garage I have Pops hand drills...all three types you may or may not have seen in the woodwork shop at school,hand cranked ..one like egg beater with small wheel on side...bigger version with a buttplate to lean on for added effect,a large brace n bit type ,then there is my two different battery drills,an older one that drills fast,and the new $100 jobbie that has slower bit speed but lasts awile longer and will screw in 3" tech screws.
then there is about 4 plug in electric drills...VERY fast bit speed and torque
I dont have a internal combustion hand drill but have used petrol post hole borers in the past,guess thats nearest comparison....or maybe its when I crank up the jenny and plug drill into it.
which really is close to what is described..small petrol diesel mottor making electricity to drive an effecient electric motor to do the work...
submarines were diesel electric,pretty sure some still are. using the strong points of both types of power is the key to the future.
relying solely on electric is just as short sighted and doomed to failure as soley relying on fossil fuel...or wind or solar or man power or horse shit methane.... eggs in one basket comes to mind.