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Norway's Electric Ferries...

HADAROY was Fjord 1's first of three battery-electric ferries to enter service on the Sulesund-Hareid crossing.    Operating on Norway's busiest crossing, the trip takes a mere 23 minutes.
With the new ferries in operation, all cars on board could be called 'electric cars' since they are transported using electrical power and batteries.





Last September I was in Norway and at 3am, on board HADAROY with my cousin.
At that time of the morning, the ferry was well below its 400 passenger, 120 car capacity.  
As we slipped silently across the pitch black fjord, it was my adventure, more than the vessel's power source, that held my attention.   
This changed while on the island of Hareidlandet where I became used to the ferries silent berthing.
It was like Waiheke, Opua, Rawene or Picton, where all of a sudden there are more vehicles and people around.
One of the ferry masters showed me the shore based charging station under construction, not far from the loading ramp.
The three 111m long ferries were built in Turkey and towed to Norway for fitting out.   
Their top speed is ten knots and are part of the green shift taking place in Norwegian ferry operations.

Electric ferries are not new - the first electric ferry was either on the River Thames in 1882 or as a test project on the river Spree in Germany in 1886.
Battery operated submarines were in operation in 1887 and from 1894 - 1926 the Bergen Electric Ferry Company (Norway) operated eight electric ferries.
From 2021 all Oslo ferries will be battery powered as the electrification of the city's transport continues.
See here for some interesting designs and concepts:

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