Torqeedo supplies French hydrographic boat with electric propulsion

Electric mobility specialist Torqeedo supplies new hydrographic survey boat with innovative dual -electric/diesel propulsion system.

Working closely with naval architects at the Alumarine Shipyard in France, the company specified, installed and integrated an electric propulsion supply system comprising of two Cruise 10.0R electric outboard motors, each powered by 48-5000 lithium batteries. The package also included an intelligent battery management system, which monitors all the new componentry and communicates with the vessel’s current onboard computer.

Named Cassiopée, the 8m (26ft) aluminum hulled ship was developed to collect data to map underwater layouts, ensuring safe navigation for other ships in and around the Port of La Rochelle. The vessel is designed to travel at 20-25kts under diesel power between the port and acquisition area, and then on the electric outboards when performing seafloor scans using a new multibeam echosounder.

“The dual-mode propulsion system gives the best of both worlds – high-speed transits to maximize uptime on station and efficient, emission-free slow-speed operation for long periods when conducting an underwater survey. The boat operates on electric power at a speed of 5kts for six hours, which perfectly covers our needs in electric mode on a working day. Then the batteries are recharged at the pier during the night,” said the captain of Cassiopée, Franck Souchay.