(ANGEL ISLAND, Calif.) — The ferries connecting Angel Island State Park and downtown Tiburon will be electrified under an agreement between the ferry company’s owners and a New Zealand technology company, Bay City News reported.
Angel Island Tiburon Ferry has commissioned EV Maritime to design a hybrid electric vessel and electrify two existing boats in a project financed by the California Air Resources Board, the companies said Friday.
The effort is the first in the United States by EV Maritime, which said it is introducing electric fast ferries in Auckland, New Zealand, under a government-sponsored project there.
The Angel Island Tiburon contract was signed Friday at a ceremony on the San Francisco waterfront attended by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, EV Maritime said.
The ferry company operates three vessels between Tiburon and Angel Island, as well as private charters, whale watching and sunset cruises.
The hybrid electric boat will be able to operate fully electric on shorter routes but with hybrid capability for longer range service, EV Maritime said. The potential shipbuilder was not disclosed.
