Norway is the world’s EV capital, and it’s not just land vehicles that are going electric. A couple of electric utilities and an electric boat manufacturer have teamed up to install a fast charger for boats at the harbor of Floro on the country’s rugged west coast.
The new charger uses a high-performance cable and plug system from Swiss cable maker BRUGG eConnect and offers a charging rate of 150 kW. It can be used to charge both electric boats and cars, and can be used by anyone via a special app.
The project is a joint effort by utilities SFE and BKK, the local council and electric motorboat manufacturer Evoy.
The Evoy1 electric boat packs 800 hp, and can travel at up to 55 knots. Its 100 kWh battery pack can be charged at rates of up to 300 kW. “Of course, a lot of people are worried about the range,” said Evoy CEO Leif Stavostrand. “For most trips it’s not a big deal, but I think it’s really important that we can also show the customers and the world that it’s actually possible to do longer trips if you need to.”
The companies plan to build more charging infrastructure throughout the country. “This is only the first of many chargers that we’re going to build along the Norwegian coast,” said Maria Bos, the CEO of Plug, a subsidiary of the power company BKK. “We have an ambition to build a network of chargers both here in Norway and also in other countries.”
Source: Reuters