A flying electric hydrofoil ferry service is set to begin operating in Berlin, cutting the journey time from the eastern city centre to Oberschöneweide to approximately 10 minutes.
Swedish tech company Candela claims the P-12 electric hydrofoil catamaran, which can travel at 25 knots across the Spree, is the fastest electric ship in the world and the first of its kind in Germany.
Electric ferry line
The P-12 shuttle electric ferry line is planned to connect the East Side Gallery, near Ostbahnhof, with the cultural hub Funkhaus.
“Berlin is a city with a lot of water, but this is hardly used for transport. We want to open up waterways for fast, emission-free transport. We need that if we want to reduce emissions and congestion on the roads,” said Brigitte Junker from Candela.
According to Candela, the P-12 fast electric ferry, which is set to debut in Stockholm’s public transport system, is the first electric vessel with both long-range and high speed, thanks to its efficiency. But for city waterways, the most important aspect of the hydrofoil technology is the lack of damaging wakes, which in Stockholm has earned it an exemption from speed limits that other vessels must adhere to.
In Berlin, the vessel has been purchased by Funkhaus/Reederei Riedel, which already operates a fleet of shuttle vessels within the city.
“We would start with an hourly service,” said Uwe Fabich, the owner of Reederei Riedel and Funkhaus, a cultural hub and popular venue for concerts, festivals, and other cultural events. With a 10-minute journey time per route, the schedule could be expanded to two trips per hour in each direction.
Read more: smartcitiesworld.net
Source: IOT NETWORK NEWS
