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

  • March 3, 2017
    Freight poses growing problem for city authorities
    Wes Guckert considers possible solutions and countermeasures to the problems of increased freight deliveries in growing cities. In January 2016, the US Department of Transportation (USDoT) conducted a session on the SmartCity Challenge and Urban Freight and Logistics. This session was a follow-up to the USDoT report titled, Beyond Traffic 2045.
  • March 6, 2015
    New range extenders for hybrid electric vehicles in 2015
    According to the IDTechEx report Range Extenders for Electric Vehicles Land, Water & Air 2015-2025, over eight million hybrid cars will be made in 2025, with a range extender, the additional power source that distinguishes them from pure-electric. They will also be in buses, military vehicles and boats: a major new market overall. Today's range extenders consist of little more than off-the-shelf internal combustion engines. They are being replaced by second-generation range extenders - piston engines design
  • November 24, 2015
    Nissan exceeds electric taxi milestone
    Nissan is heading the electric vehicle revolution with more than 550 electric taxis now on the road in Europe. During 2015 alone, over 100 electric vehicles were delivered to taxi companies across Europe and growth of the electric taxi market looks set to continue, as its popularity has started to take hold in Eastern Europe.
  • January 28, 2016
    MTC awards funding to modernise Bay Area transit systems
    San Francisco’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) has allocated US$494 million to help more than 20 Bay Area transit agencies replace or rehabilitate aging buses, ferries, rail cars, tracks and bridges; update safety, control and communications systems; install new fare-collection equipment; maintain services for elderly and disabled passengers; and make other capital improvements. The commitment includes US$447 million of federal transportation funds, supplemented by US$47 million of revenues fr