Fully charged in Arendal
This summer, tourists flocked to Arendal to recharge their batteries. Some of the guests did it more literally than others.
Arendal is known as a summer destination. Thousands of tourists come here to enjoy lazy vacation days. One of those who visited and recharged their batteries several times this summer was the Swedish electric boat X Shore 1.
- This is a good example of a type of electric boat that we hope will use the new Type 2 chargers that we have on docks around Arendal," says Ragnhild Hammer, Climate and Environment Advisor at Arendal Municipality. She explains that the chargers are a result of Arendal municipality and Arendal harbor participating in the Interreg project goLeif, which aims to facilitate electric boats along the coast between Gothenburg and Sørlandet. "In Arendal, we have 34 Type 2 chargers that are co-financed with EU funds in the project," says Hammer.
Staale Reiersen is keen to help get X Shore's electric boats out into the world.
X Shore out into the world
Staale Reiersen showed the Swedish electric boat X Shore 1 bowrider during Arendalsuka. The boat has a large battery pack that can be charged in the same way as an electric car.
- "I know the manager of X Shore and would like to help bring these electric boats to the world," says Reiersen. He took private individuals, businesses and politicians on a boat trip in the beautiful archipelago.
Arendal is perfect for electric boats. "Many people like to cruise leisurely through the river and to Mærdø, and to drive quickly home through Galtesund and Tromøysund when evening comes," says Reiersen. The X Shore 1 has more range than most people use in a day - a full 50 nautical miles at cruising speed. Top speed is 30 knots.
Simple and easy. The chargers are located at the dockside and the electric boats use their own Type 2 cable to charge.
Safe charging
Erland Heum is the leader of the Norwegian Electric Boat Association. He points out that charging for electric boats is available in most marinas and need not be an obstacle to the adoption of electric boats.
- Marinas usually have a good electrical infrastructure where you find the blue or red "industrial plugs". But the best thing is to charge on Type 2 chargers such as those installed by Arendal municipality," says Heum.
With Type 2 you also get higher charging power. It is not recommended to charge electric boats on a standard "household plug".
He is also an agent for several electric boat brands through his company EV Ocean, including X Shore.
- There are many different electric boats on the market today. When we look at the usage pattern of the average recreational boat owner, electric boats actually fit incredibly well. Most people will be able to use their electric boat all day on the water without draining the battery. Then you can charge overnight and be ready the next day," says Heum.
Full control. All information about the boat, charging and map is gathered on a large and clear touchscreen.
When we visited Staale Reiersen at the dock in Arendal, the boat was charging at one of the new Type 2 chargers. The clear screen on board showed that the battery was receiving an output of 18 kilowatts.
- Having an electric boat is easy and convenient, says Reiersen. Especially when the conditions are as good as here in Arendal.
The facts
- goLEIF - Interreg project working with charging infrastructure for electric boats along the coast between Gothenburg and Sørlandet. A number of Swedish and Norwegian municipalities and organizations are participating in the project.
- Electric boat chargers in Arendal - With support from Interreg, the Port of Arendal has installed 34 new Type 2 charging points in Arendal. Electric boats can charge on the power available in most public ports in Arendal, but the new Type 2 chargers provide more power and safer charging. The local electrical installation company Nedig has supplied and installed the chargers from Norwegian manufacturer Zaptec. An overview of where the Type 2 chargers are located can be found at småbåthavn.no.
- Norsk elbåtforening - If you have questions about electric boats or charging, just contact Norsk Elbåtforening. You can find contact info at www.elbatforeningen.no
- X Shore 1 bowrider - Electric motor, Battery bank of 120 kW, Range 50 NM, Maximum speed 30 knots, Length 6.5 meters / 21 feet, Price: from 129,000 Euro.
