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Post by dogless on Jul 2, 2023 9:36:14 GMT
Watched a 'walk around' an electric drive narrow boat the other day.
Very plush with all mod cons like a quality apartment ... gas free, diesel stove and Webasto hot water and heating.
It was purely electric drive from 8 x 200 ah LifePO batteries with 1.9 kW of solar and a built in diesel generator to charge batteries when solar won't do it.
A very square shell, with no discernable tumblehome to maximise interior space meant it didn't look very attractive to me ... more like a sports car than a boat in my view.
But I wondered, bearing in mind all the electric powered devices on board (washing machine, microwave, dishwasher, electric cooker etc.) how likely it was that solar alone could support all this ?
I would have thought that any overcast day would require use of the diesel genny, let alone winter months.
I wonder if anyone's looked into electric boats or if you electrical experts could express an opinion on how viable it is for a live-aboard boat ?
Rog
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Post by kris on Jul 2, 2023 9:37:41 GMT
The generator will be getting used frequently.
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Post by β on Jul 2, 2023 10:24:11 GMT
I love the idea of a 'purely electric boat with a diesel generator'. Marketing genius.
I am the worlds biggest fan of small electric boats but to be satisfactory you need diesel.
I would be making sure the generator is a good quality unit 1500rpm over specced for the job rather than some mickey mouse yacht generator designed to be used once every few months.
It could work if done right but a narrow is a heavy lump to move about especially in shallow ditches sucking the bottom.
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Post by kris on Jul 2, 2023 10:26:05 GMT
I love the idea of a 'purely electric boat with a diesel generator'. Marketing genius. Gets a 25%discount on your license.
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Post by β on Jul 2, 2023 10:28:47 GMT
I love the idea of a 'purely electric boat with a diesel generator'. Marketing genius. Gets a 25%discount on your license. Is that really a factor for a boat likely to cost a hundred grand? I mean the licence is lets say about Β£1500 per year. 25 percent would be a saving of Β£375 so Β£1 a day. Does someone spending Β£100k on a boat get worried about an extra pound a day? Maybe they do !
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Post by β on Jul 2, 2023 10:29:46 GMT
More likely this is just a narrow boat producer getting on the electric boat banned wagon.
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Post by dogless on Jul 2, 2023 10:30:31 GMT
I love the idea of a 'purely electric boat with a diesel generator'. Marketing genius. The drive is entirely by electric motor ... I think this is what they mean The genny is purely to charge the batteries. I did wonder how such electric drive would cope on tidal rivers too. Rog
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Post by kris on Jul 2, 2023 11:06:40 GMT
Gets a 25%discount on your license. Is that really a factor for a boat likely to cost a hundred grand? I mean the licence is lets say about Β£1500 per year. 25 percent would be a saving of Β£375 so Β£1 a day. Does someone spending Β£100k on a boat get worried about an extra pound a day? Maybe they do ! Over the life of the boat itβs quite a big saving.
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Post by kris on Jul 2, 2023 11:09:50 GMT
I love the idea of a 'purely electric boat with a diesel generator'. Marketing genius. The drive is entirely by electric motor ... I think this is what they mean The genny is purely to charge the batteries. I did wonder how such electric drive would cope on tidal rivers too. Rog depends exactly how itβs configured. I had a friend who had one of the old smiths milk floats years ago, when electric vehicles where mot exempt and tax free. He made it diesel electric by having a diesel welding set on the back that acted as a range extender. He used to also get an increased top speed when using the generator.
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Post by ianali on Jul 2, 2023 13:36:04 GMT
Gets a 25%discount on your license. Is that really a factor for a boat likely to cost a hundred grand? I mean the licence is lets say about Β£1500 per year. 25 percent would be a saving of Β£375 so Β£1 a day. Does someone spending Β£100k on a boat get worried about an extra pound a day? Maybe they do ! 100k? Good luck finding one at that price..
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Post by β on Jul 2, 2023 13:38:58 GMT
It was an optimistic guide price !
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Post by dogless on Jul 2, 2023 15:18:09 GMT
I would guess Β£200,000 ... lovely, but really not to my taste.
I like steam engines and diesel engines, and Jane ... very strange tastes I know π
Rog
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Post by Aloysius on Jul 2, 2023 15:31:37 GMT
Although I once daydreamed about a boat which use electric for everything except propulsion. So no gas, electric hob, no oven but I guess you could cover with an air cooker. Maybe the wierdest thing might be an electric shower; those things have to be properly grounded out otherwise death can occur, so if it was grounded to the boat does that mean the boat becomes a giant anode? Electrickery is not my area of expertise.
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Post by ianali on Jul 2, 2023 16:12:39 GMT
I would guess Β£200,000 ... lovely, but really not to my taste. I like steam engines and diesel engines, and Jane ... very strange tastes I know π Rog Nothing wrong with loving the oldiesβ¦β¦.
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Post by dogless on Jul 2, 2023 16:14:19 GMT
Agree and know what you mean ... but Jane's not happy.
Rog
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