DEC has announced the launch of their first all-electric boat on the water. The vessel is being used by the Division of Water’s Finger Lakes Water Quality Hub to conduct water sampling operations on the smaller Finger Lakes.
The boat features a rehabbed hull (a reuse project) and has a 20 horsepower outboard electric motor that can power the boat at 8 to 10 MPH. The batteries are designed to give it a range of up to 60 miles of operation.
Division of Water staff are keeping track of how it operates so that it can be compared to its fossil fuel powered counterparts in terms of cost of operation and maintenance requirements.
Benefits of the electric motor include lower greenhouse gas emissions and the elimination of small engine air emissions and the potential for a fuel spill on the water. The motor is also much quieter than a comparable fossil fuel powered motor.
Photo provided by DEC.
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