Capbreton's All-Electric Passenger Ferry

Capbreton is turning to green technologies to reduce pollution of its air and waterways.  The popular holiday destination on the Atlantic coast of France saw its first all-electric passenger ferry go into service in July 2019, replacing an older diesel-burning vessel.

The 35-passenger aluminium vessel, called e-Boucarot, is powered by an integrated electric propulsion system developed by Torqeedo. It consists of two 10 kW electric outboards and four 48V 5 kWh lithium batteries with helm controls and display.

The 10-meter aluminium catamaran has a top speed of eight knots and typically cruises at an economical three knots in the harbor. The operator estimates that the boat can run up to 20 hours between shore recharges. L2O Naval, based in L’Orient, designed the ecologically responsible vessel, which was built by Idra Navacco.