Electric Boats and Ships

Provides an international history of the electric boat and ship from 1835 to the present. It celebrates the Golden Era of electric launches, 1880-1910. It narrates how electric propulsion continued its progress with the turbo-electric ship, and shows how sustainable and hybrid technologies have recently been scaled up to the integrated electric propulsion of the largest ocean-going ships.

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Electric propulsion for boats was developed in the early 19th century and--despite the advent of the internal combustion engine--continued with the perfecting of the modern turbo-electric ship. Sustainable and hybrid technologies, pioneered in small inland watercraft toward the end of the 20th century, have in recent years been scaled up to create integrated electric drives for the largest ocean-going vessels. This comprehensive history traces the birth and rebirth of the electric boat from 1835 to the present, celebrating the Golden Age of electric launches, 1880-1910.