Skip to main content

Asia's first hybrid electric ferry sets sail for cleaner sea travel

The Taiwanese harbour city of Kaohsiung has launched a new hybrid electric ferry, which it is claimed could revolutionise marine passenger transport across the region by curbing greenhouse and diesel emissions. The city recently re-launched the popular Cijian Island passenger ferry, retrofitted with a Visedo electric propulsion system, replacing the original diesel engine. If successful, the Kaohsiung City Government plans to retrofit the rest of its diesel fleet to help reduce pollution levels around Ta
February 3, 2017 Read time: 1 min
The Taiwanese harbour city of Kaohsiung has launched a new hybrid electric ferry, which it is claimed could revolutionise marine passenger transport across the region by curbing greenhouse and diesel emissions.

The city recently re-launched the popular Cijian Island passenger ferry, retrofitted with a Visedo electric propulsion system, replacing the original diesel engine. If successful, the Kaohsiung City Government plans to retrofit the rest of its diesel fleet to help reduce pollution levels around Taiwan’s largest harbour.

Finnish company Visedo, which manufactures electric drivetrains for marine vessels, commercial vehicles and heavy duty applications, retrofitted the 100-tonne, 23m-long vessel with an electric system to replace the original 300HP diesel engine. The powertrain was designed to ensure pure electric cruising for half the ferry’s operation time and, with fast shore charging, this pure electric percentage can be higher.

Related Content

  • October 16, 2012
    Taiwan to unveil four-year public transportation program
    Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) is to present a four-year public transportation program to the Taiwanese Cabinet. Over the next four years, the US$683.76 million programme will purchase more than 3,000 buses, including hybrid buses and electric buses, to replace the existing buses in Taiwanese cities. Low-floor buses will account for 30% of the total buses to be used in city area in 2016. The number of low-floor buses in metropolitan areas will increase by 2% a year, under the
  • June 1, 2017
    European Commission takes action for clean, competitive and connected mobility
    The European Commission is taking action to modernise European mobility and transport, with the aim of helping the sector to remain competitive in a socially fair transition towards clean energy and digitalisation.
  • November 23, 2017
    Autumn budget: EV charging infrastructure fund and higher tax rates for diesel vehicles
    Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has announced a £400m ($532m) charging infrastructure fund for electric vehicles (EVs), an extra £100m ($133m) investment in Plug-In-Car Grant, and a £40m ($53m) in charging R&D in the UK’s Autumn Budget 2017. He added that laws need to be clarified so that motorists who charge their EVs at work will not face a benefit-in-kind charge from next year.
  • June 16, 2016
    Electric vehicles accounted for largest share of hybrid and EV battery market in 2015
    According to research by P&S Market Research, the global hybrid and electric vehicle battery market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20 per cent in terms of value during 2016-2022. The report, Global Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Battery Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast, claims that, among the various applications, the electric vehicle segment accounted for the largest share (46.5 per cent) of the hybrid and electric vehicle battery market in terms of value in 2015. Electric vehi