Thread: Electric ferries - good idea?

Ideally, cars, boats, trucks, etc should be run with electric motors, powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

Instead of bleeding off, or shutting down generation of electricity, when there's too much of it, electrolysis could be making hydrogen all the time, 24 hrs a day, from existing electricity generation. See Tiwai Point.

Given that the taxpayer already paid, for all the Hydro in NZ, the electricity should be almost free, apart from maintenance costs (that's before it was flogged off for pennies, to private money men). Remove the profit quotient from NZ's electricity industry, and we're set.



If you want a proof of concept, see Team NZ's new chase boat.

I'll buy an EV when they can do 1000km to a charge since that is the range of my current vehicle on a tank of diesel. As for EV boats and planes they are coming but so far ideas outweigh practicality.

Yeah, for a work vehicle in a remote-site contracting outfit an EV will never do it. Ever. Cost too much, and the battery would need to be so big that the vehicle couldn't carry the required cargo...

All you naysayers are doing is demonstrating your lack of knowledge. Heaps of electric prime movers in underground mining (and have been for a century at least), many yachts have electric main engines and have done for at least 30 years . . . Electric is the way "back to the future" - we just have to learn hiw to do it. Must put fhe Stihl electric saw battery on charge, hell of a productivity tool, I estimate it saves me at least two hours a week, reduces and simplifies my tool bin and is safer to boot.

Electric is NOT the issue. Fastest Tuna Purse Seiner I ever worked on was Diesel / Electric. With all the geni's online the thin did 29kts which was not too bad for 109m vessel.
The thing was an absolute beast!!

Its when you are using rechargeable batteries as your "generators" that the problems start. You have to charge them somehow and there's no plan b if it all turns to pooze.

Imagine the new NZ 1 flight was electric / battery powered.........................."ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking, as a result of unexpected headwinds we have used almost all our battery reserves and will be landing rather unexpectedly and in a hurry"

Originally Posted by mikee

Electric is NOT the issue. Fastest Tuna Purse Seiner I ever worked on was Diesel / Electric. With all the geni's online the thin did 29kts which was not too bad for 109m vessel.
The thing was an absolute beast!!

Its when you are using rechargeable batteries as your "generators" that the problems start. You have to charge them somehow and there's no plan b if it all turns to pooze.

Imagine the new NZ 1 flight was electric / battery powered.........................."ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking, as a result of unexpected headwinds we have used almost all our battery reserves and will be landing rather unexpectedly and in a hurry"

Have you not had a read about air nz's direct flight from New York...

Had to leave bags behind because of head wind on the maiden flight...

Originally Posted by Tentman

All you naysayers are doing is demonstrating your lack of knowledge. Heaps of electric prime movers in underground mining (and have been for a century at least), many yachts have electric main engines and have done for at least 30 years . . . Electric is the way "back to the future" - we just have to learn hiw to do it. Must put fhe Stihl electric saw battery on charge, hell of a productivity tool, I estimate it saves me at least two hours a week, reduces and simplifies my tool bin and is safer to boot.

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!

https://www.facebook.com/haris.sopho...9248143294213/

Originally Posted by PerazziSC3

Have you not had a read about air nz's direct flight from New York...

Had to leave bags behind because of head wind on the maiden flight...

my point exactly

Lets just call it what it is. Its not an electric ferry, its a "battery powered ferry".

Maybe they need an electric cable ferry.
The cable ferry idea having already been taken:-)

havent they got a set of jumper leads on board and the number of AA roadside assist.???????

Originally Posted by kotuku

havent they got a set of jumper leads on board and the number of AA roadside assist.???????

that would mean the auto association would be carrying AA batteries

Ever seen what a small lithium battery does when it gets wet. Imagine a sinking electric ferry.
Mind you i dont like electronic dive computors either. Water and electrics dont mix.
Accidents happen.

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.