6 Greenline Yachts for world’s 1st all electric charter fleet

The 6 Greenline Yachts in the electric charter fleet are offered by Canal Boats Telemark for cruising emission-free along one of Norway’s most beautiful and popular recreational waterways.

The Telemark canal, built in 1852, is now recognized as a living heritage site with most of its 18 lift locks still operated manually. Boaters cruise past old lock-keepers’ houses, sawmills, watchmens’ cottages and stone warehouses as it winds 105 kilometres (65 mi) through farmland, wilderness and old industry sites and covers a difference in elevation of 72 metres (236 ft) – about 1.5 times the height of Niagara Falls.

The silence of the all electric boats are the perfect way to enjoy the serenity and scenery. Local Greenline agent W-Yacht worked with the newly formed charter company Canal Boats Telemark, who are operating the fleet of two Greenline 33s and four 39s – each fitted with the  boatmaker’s EDrive system launched at Boot Düsseldorf in 2019.

Electric charter fleet perfect for historic canal

Both models have been designed for travellers who want to share special moments with friends and family on the water while also maintaining ecological responsibility. The 33 foot (9.99 meter) models have one large double sleeping cabin and another double designed for children, while the 39 (11.99 m)  has two full size double cabins. With beams of 11 feet and 12 feet (3.39m and 3.75m) the lounge area of each has 3 more beds available.

The lounges boast  360-degree panoramic views and offer all the comforts of home like air conditioning, a full height refrigerator/freezer, a double element induction stove, microwave, TV, and wi-fi. Renters require a valid boaters’ license, but for ease of use the yachts’ navigation package includes a Raymarine touch screen chartplotter, hydraulic autopilot system and rear view camera.

Greenline is one of the pioneers of electric and hybrid boating. Within two years of the launch of the first Greenline 33 in 2008 it became the top selling 10 metre boat in the world. Their ongoing vision and mission is to constantly push the boundaries of what is technologically possible to make environmentally responsible boating more and more attractive, easy and affordable.

Greenline building electric/hybrid yachts since 2008

Their signature hull design is called a ‘superdisplacement’ hull and incorporates the best low-drag properties of a sleek sailing boat with elements of a wider displacement hull for smooth and stable cruising.

In the early years this innovation was the best way to optimize the different performance profiles of the electric and diesel motors. But as electric motors, batteries and hybrid systems have evolved, the hull now enables the Greenline 33 and Greenline 39 models to run completely on electric propulsion. In fact, all eight models in the Greenline range –  from the 33 to the 68 Ocean Class – are available with a fully electric drive system.

For the Greenline 33 and 39, the all electric cruising speed is 7 knots with a top speed of 11 knots.The 14 kW Torqeedo motors are coupled with 80kWh lithium-ion battery packs that give each boat a range of up to 40nm.

To make charging of the all electric charter fleet as easy and convenient as possible, the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment and its subsidiary Enova SF stepped up to provide a grant enabling construction of 10 charging stations along the canal. It takes approximately 3 hours for an 80% charge and the estimated cost is about 100 NK per day (€10, $US12) – about a fifth of the cost of diesel!

Luca Raumland, Head of Sales and Marketing at Greenline Yachts, says: “It is exciting to see the growing demand for our propulsion systems. Since the beginning of 2020 we have built more than 60% of our production with either electric or hybrid propulsion and the forecast for 2021 is even higher. Consumers are opening their minds to more efficient and sustainable ways to power their boats.”

Charging infrastructure beginning to expand

This is part of a growing move to installing chargers on waterways everywhere. Vita Superpower has installed a mini network of three chargers along the French/Italian Riviera, with plans for eight more. In the USA, Watershed Innovation recently installed a charging station in Lake Tahoe, California in support of its all electric wakeboarding / towboat, the Super Air Nautique GS22E

As in so many areas of electric mobility, Norway is also stepping up to innovate not only in electric boat charters and charging, but also electric boat ownership clubs. In Oslo, (about 130 km from the canal), the startup Kruser offers seasonal memberships for access to a fleet of electric boats without the member needing to worry about insurance, dock space, or other sundry boating details.

On the Telemark, the all electric charter fleet of Greenline boats are available for booking now on the Canal Boats Telemark website. Prices below accurate as of December 29, 2020 (12/29/20).