Ride green: Uber Boat builds UK’s first hybrid high-speed passenger ferries
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers has announced it is currently building the UK’s first hybrid high speed passenger ferries.
Set to respectively launch in autumn 2022 and spring 2023, the ferries will operate solely on battery power when transporting commuters between Tower Pier and Battersea Power Station.
“After the challenges of the last two years that Covid has set upon businesses, in particular in the transport sector, I’m extremely excited to be increasing our capacity to meet the demands of our customers and partners,” said Sean Collins, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers’ chief executive.
“ We are committed to supporting the sustainable growth, infrastructure and economic development on and around the river to endorse the river’s importance to London as a form of transport.”
The company, which entered into a partnership with Uber in August 2020, is aiming to achieve net zero on all new builds within the next three years, setting 2040 as the deadline for the rest of its fleet.
“We’re looking ahead with this hybrid design, ensuring easy conversion to green hydrogen or another renewable energy source – something we’re also focusing heavily on with the new projects we’re undertaking thanks to recent DfT funding.”