Depending on the geographic layout of your area, the type of public transportation available may vary. As long as there are roads or large stretches of land, then cars, buses, and trains are the usual platforms available. For others that live near bodies of water, a ferry is often the ideal choice. Boundary Layer Technologies wants to make the latter more sustainable with the Electra.
Earlier this year, we caught glimpse of an emission-free concept called the CAPTN VAIARO. The folks behind this project envision an autonomous fleet of ships to service people across the Kiel Fjord. In fact, there is a surging interest to bring electrification to even bigger vessels.
Meanwhile, what the Electra brings to the table sure sounds promising. The California-based startup recognizes the nautical transportation industry’s need to cut back or eliminate its carbon footprint. We have yet to see a fully electric model that handles commuter travel just as good as the regular ones.
The company believes what they have is capable of even more. Hydrodynamic drag is the enemy here as it forces electric motors to sap more juice. The Electra shouldn’t have this problem with the help of proprietary hydrofoil technology. Thrust from the podded propulsion system lifts twin hulls out of the water.
This allows the Electra to reach speeds of up to 40 knots. Below deck, it houses a massive 9,000 kWh battery that can fully charge in approximately three hours. The range is somewhere around 100 miles. Another awesome benefit aside from zero emissions is noise reduction by close to 20 decibels. The manufacturer says production units will be available in 2024.
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Images courtesy of Boundary Layer Technologies
