VESSEL REFIT | Hybrid water taxi for the mayor of Venice

VESSEL REFIT | Hybrid water taxi for the mayor of Venice

PASSENGER VESSEL WEEK
venice water taxi main

This northern summer, on the occasion of the first Venice Boat Show, Transfluid, together with Bimotor, (the FPT dealer for the North Adriatic area) delivered the first hybrid water taxi of the municipality fleet to the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro.

The upgraded boat was officially introduced with a test tour on the Venice Lagoon with the presence of the mayor together with Ugo Pavesi of Transfluid and Filippo Brunero of Bimotor.

Venice Water Taxi engine

This taxi is a typical Venetian wooden boat powered by a single FPT S30 diesel engine via a stern drive propulsion system capable of delivering up to 170 kW at 4,000 rpm. The vessel complies with the most stringent emissions regulations.

The Transfluid hybrid system, designed to enable zero emissions, is an HM560-12 based on a 12kW permanent magnet electric motor, which was installed at local shipbuilder Chia, and is powered from a battery bank of about 10 kWh.

Venice water taxi 3

The module was installed between the diesel engine and the transmission, with the electric motor, also produced by Transfluid, mounted parallel to the propulsion axis line.

The electric motor is powered by a high-efficiency lithium battery bank (LiFePO4), capable of powering the entire system in zero emission mode and is completely silent.

In full-electric mode, the boat can navigate at low speeds, and it is ideal for sailing inside the Venetian canals. In traditional diesel mode, the power supplied by the electric motor can be added to the power supplied by the diesel engine, giving a higher thrust output during acceleration to reach a top speed of 10 knots. Finally, the batteries can also be recharged during diesel mode navigation.

See all the other content from this month’s Passenger Vessel Week right here, including reviews, features, opinions and news.


Stefano Fermi

Stefano Fermi, based in Cremona, Italy, is since 1993 the publisher of the Italian work boat magazine Il Battelliere - Nautica Professionale, and since 1995 the publisher of the web magazine TuttoCrociere - Cybercruises.com. Before the editorial business he was involved, for some years, in the construction of some innovative small passenger aluminium catamarans, based on Australian designs, that were the first ever built in Italy. His relationship with Neil and Alex Baird began in 2002 with the first edition of the Work Boat Europe Exhibition.