alt Hacker NewsA lot of ships don't go across oceans and can benefit from batteries. Think ferries, feeder ships, river transport. Those all dock in relatively predictable intervals.
A lot of ships don't go across oceans and can benefit from batteries. Think ferries, feeder ships, river transport. Those all dock in relatively predictable intervals.
As a crazy thought: On predictable routes in shallow enough water, implement an underwater power source similar in function (if not physically similar) to overhead electric bus/trolley power lines? The boats would move along their routes with a cable running down to to a connector that slides along the power source.
I'm imagining channels in a busy waterway or a regular ferry route. Of course it needs economy of scale, but at that point everyone saves on batteries, etc. Unless there are submarines, I don't know what would pass under the boat and cut the connection.
Maybe watercraft usage or routes aren't predictable enough? Maybe the sliding connector is too expensive underwater, especially in sea water.