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https://electrek.co/2026/04/20/this-futuristic-looking-electric-ferry-just-proved-boats-beat-bridges-in-cities/>
"Electric boats have been steadily gaining traction, but a new pilot project in
Norway is making a pretty compelling case that they could do more than just
clean up waterways – they might actually replace expensive infrastructure
projects altogether.
Norwegian company Hyke has just wrapped up a 14-month real-world test of its
F-15 electric passenger ferry in the city of Fredrikstad, and the results
suggest that small, efficient electric ferries could play a much bigger role in
urban transportation than we’ve seen so far.
The Hyke F-15 Shuttle isn’t a massive ferry. It’s a relatively compact,
15-meter (49-foot) vessel designed for short urban crossings, carrying up to 50
passengers at a time. But what it lacks in size, it seems to make up for in
efficiency.
During its pilot run between April 2024 and mid-2025, the ferry transported
more than 41,000 passengers across a short 225-meter river route. The crossing
itself took just about two minutes, showing how these types of boats can
operate at high frequency – more like a shuttle than a traditional ferry.
And it did so with some pretty darn efficient numbers, too.
According to Hyke and the municipality’s final report, the electric ferry used
up to 88% less energy than comparable diesel vessels – roughly eight times more
efficient. Even more surprising, the total energy consumption is so low that
the ferry reportedly uses about the same power as five household hair dryers.
That’s an eye-opening stat when you consider this thing is moving dozens of
people at a time.
The ferry is powered by a 196 kWh battery pack and averages around just 10 kW
of power draw. According to the company, it can support up to 10 hours of
continuous operation. Fast charging is supported via 150 kW DC charging, making
it viable for daily transit use."
Via Susan ****
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
