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Exploring the Cost and Feasibility of Battery-Electric Ships

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32 points gnabgib | 1 comments | 20 Nov 24 16:52 UTC | HN request time: 0.21s | source
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tonymet ◴[20 Nov 24 19:21 UTC] No.42197211[source]▶
Ferry service in the Puget Sound (Seattle Area) has suffered due to delays with electric ferries. The state refuses to maintain their existing fleet. Every line has frequent delays, and the international route which was suspended for “a couple years” in 2021 is now delayed until 2030.

The frustration people have with electric isn’t the technology – it’s the dogmatic commitment to technology that isn’t quite ready, based on false promises of it solving climate change .

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1. Panzer04 ◴[20 Nov 24 21:30 UTC] No.42198309[source]▶
I don't know what you mean by dogmatic. Alternatives to electric are still the primary workhorses in most industries, but falling prices for batteries mean they are rapidly becoming more competitive.

My experience is that people don't have a good grasp of how effective electric is, and think it's somehow worse than the alternatives and winning via subsidies, which is not really the case today. Likewise for things like solar.

I imagine many businesses are hoping to put off their next replacement cycles for more effective, cheaper technology rather than incur big Capex expenses on soon to be obsolete and more expensive technologies.