Going hybrid: Planes, trains…cruise ships?

Hurtigruten MS Roald Amundsen plug-in hybrid cruise shipThe Roald Amundsen, an expedition cruise ship that can carry 500 passengers and is designed for rough waters, set out last Monday on its maiden voyage silently, on electric power. It can plug in to charge its batteries when it's in port, but with a schedule reaching to the far poles of the world, the ship cruises mainly like a conventional hybrid...

All-electric Chinese cargo ship will be used to haul coal

China’s all-electric cargo ship will deliver coal to powerplants. China News/Peng YongguiA shipyard in China has built what it says is the world's first all-electric cargo ship, capable of hauling 2,000 metric tons of lading some 50 miles on a single charge. The ship, built and operated by CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group) Company Ltd under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation Group, may not have the gross tonnage or...

If autonomous electric cars are coming, why not ships too?

Kongsberg Maritime autonomous boat conceptVehicle engineering and development focuses heavily on passenger cars and light trucks, but what about other forms of transportation? In an effort to cut congestion on its roads, the country of Norway is experimenting with the idea of autonomous, electric ships to replace large semi trucks, reports Gas2. Not only do semi trucks clog roadways, but...