Fassmer Shipyard and Torqeedo announce a fully electric ferry concept

Fassmer Shipyard, a leader in serial production of composite boat construction, and Torqeedo, the market leader in integrated electric drive systems for boats, have announced a fully electric ferry concept for public transport – The Fassmer CIT-E Ferry powered by a Torqeedo integrated drive system.

“When Fassmer and Torqeedo started to discuss the CIT-E Ferry concept, we wanted to address several topics facing urban centres. By 2050, the global population will reach 10 billion, with 75% of people residing in cities. Facing this rapid population shift and the resulting gridlock of land-based transportation, urban planners are looking to their waterways to ease congestion on city streets. Many cities are creating intermodal public transport networks integrating climate-friendly water taxis, ferries and other passenger vessels. We are proud to make a small contribution to avoid emissions with our integrated electric drive system,” says Matthias Schubert, Torqeedo’s director for commercial sales.

The CIT-E Ferry can be operated in inner-city waterways very cost-effectively: commuter vessels typically operate at efficient speeds and are in use for 8-14 hours, leaving plenty of time for overnight charging. That reduces infrastructure and battery bank costs and makes the entire investment even more economically and ecologically beneficial.

Torqeedo’s award-winning and highly efficient Deep Blue drive system is the heart of Fassmer’s CIT-E Ferry. Twin steerable thrusters deliver continuous power of 100 kW (peak power of 130 kW) and rotate up to 360 degrees, making the CIT-E Ferry easy to manoeuvre even in the narrowest urban waterways.

Deep Blue drive system with steerable thrusters deliver continuous power of 100 kW and rotates up to 360 degrees

Deep Blue lithium-ion batteries with a battery bank capacity of between 80 kWh and 1 MWh power the integrated drive system. These high-capacity batteries meet IEC 62619 and IEC 62620 requirements, making them suitable for use in the CIT-E Ferry according to ES-TRIN (European Standard laying down Technical Requirements for Inland Navigation vessels) requirements. A DNV-GL type-approved battery variant is also available.

Fassmer’s CIT-E Ferry is fully ES-TRIN 2021 compliant with up to a 100-passenger capacity. The modular concept allows the customer to adapt the vessel’s overall length from 12 to 24 meters, depending on the route serviced. The lightweight GRP construction outperforms any steel or aluminium hull design and is optimised for the use of Torqeedo’s integrated Deep Blue drive system. The efficient and low wash catamaran hull, designed by Judel/Vrolijk & Co., delivers speeds of up to 25 km/h. Depending on the overall battery capacity, 14 hours of daily operation time without recharging can be reached.

In addition, the customisable interior design allows the operator to take all individual customer and route needs into account with a flexible number of seats vs standing room, space for wheelchairs, bicycles and prams, an LED light system, air conditioning, skylights and an entertainment system. For longer routes or tour boats, lavatories, kiosks and snack machines can be integrated in the design.

“Decades-old marine diesel engines power most commercial fleets in European cities. The CO2 emissions are not in line with the international goals to reduce global warming, and human health is also at risk. Our cities’ air quality suffers from emissions, particularly due to ferries which dock frequently. Our CIT-E Ferry design with electric drive offers the urban mobility of the future without any air or noise pollution,” states Fassmer’s sales manager for boats and davits, Wolfgang Moewes.