I suspect that there's niches where battery electric boats and maybe planes do make sense.
My state's ferry system is investing in electrifying, because they project it reduce operating costs. The 'easy' part is moving towards hybrid systems that can move with diesel or battery; this is projected to save fuel even without shore charging. The hard part will be making shore charging work. Our grid is mostly hydro, so switching from diesel to electric should be better for emissions and the operating budget.
If the routes were longer, shore charging wouldn't be very relevant, but they're short enough that many routes could work without diesel most of the time.
Where I live companies are moving to electric ferries because they’re cheaper to operate, require less maintenance, and are much quieter for the passengers. Plus they don’t emit any exhaust fumes while idling at the dock.
The port also has an electric tug boat, which their reports say is very handy because it changes power output much faster than diesel tugs. Charging times are not a factor according to their reports.
Our power grid is 80+% renewable though.
Of course the article ignores that it’s easier to improve the emissions of a few large powerplants than every car, ferry and scooter, and that the minerals in batteries don’t disappear after use.
Also, large power plants are much more efficient than small ICEs. Combined cycle power plants can have a LHV efficiency in excess of 60%.
> the minerals in batteries don’t disappear after use.
For all practical purposes they might, depending on how the batteries are disposed of.
It seems unlikely that the disposal will leave the lithium in a state that’s harder to refine than natural deposits (which are extremely dilute).
An analysis of the Nordic ferry systems ten years ago found that 70% would benefit from electrification —- about 45% could go fully electric, while about 25% made more sense as hybrid.
This means for them 30% didn’t make sense to electrify.
This was Siemens making the case for selling electric boat parts, so presumably this was best case at the time.
We also have electric ferries here in Antwerp and Ostend. I don't think they're hybrid, although it's not clear when they get charged, I would assume during the wait times (about 15 minutes wait and 5 minutes ferrying) but I have not noticed them actually connecting anywhere, maybe I just haven't noticed though. The communication says it can sail for three hours on batteries, so they must charge during the day while operating.
And at my other place around Nantes they're building a new ferry that is supposed to be hybrid electric/hydrogen. I'm not very optimistic on hydrogen though so I don't know. The latest info say the budget has tripled and the delivery has been reported from 2026 to 2030.
Most of them seem to perform opportunity charging (while loading/unloading), using direct rapid charging via pantograph.
See eg https://www.energymonitor.ai/sectors/transport/the-secret-to...
I have also seen designs for ferries to wirelessly charge underwater while docked.
Wireless charging can be quite efficient when the two halves comprise nesting physical features with similar tolerances to actual transformers. But I have not seen this implemented, presumably due to biofouling problems.
Hot swappable batteries!