New Uber Boat hybrid ferries in 2022 for London commuters, tourists
New high speed Uber Boat hybrid ferries being built by Wight Shipyard will bring a new era to Thames River travel with two boats running all-electric between Tower Bridge and the Battersea Power Station.
Background: In August of 2020 the on land ride-sharing service announced a partnership with London ferry company Thames Clippers. There was no change in ownership. Multinational conglomerate AEG, who also own and operate the city’s O2 stadium, retain the majority stake in what is now called Uber Boat by Thames Clippers.
The main difference for Londoners was that the company’s commuter ferries would be fully integrated with the Uber app, making it easier to link land and water trips. The company’s fleet also takes visitors on sightseeing trips through the heart of the city and its famous landmarks down to Greenwich.
In September 2021 the company announced funding from the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition undertaken by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) and Innovate UK to support three projects looking at the decarbonizing of the Thames:
- Clipper 2.0, a study of the economic and technical feasibility of three zero carbon fuel types – compressed hydrogen gas, liquid hydrogen and methanol.
- Project HOST (Hydrogen and Oxygen South Thames), concentrating on how Uber Boat by Thames Clippers could transition from diesel engines to vessels that use hydrogen fuel cell, batteries and electric motors over the next 10 years.
- Cross River Zero Emissions Ferry, a feasibility study looking at the relationship between power demand, duty cycle and vessel optimization for more efficient vessel operation in order to develop a clear plan to to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
This last initiative was undertaken in collaboration with Wight Shipyard, who have worked with Thames Clipper for many years and are building the new Uber Boat hybrid ferries. The study also looked at the feasibility of integrating fuel cell electric drive systems into the company’s existing fleet.