Join us at this free event and discover how boat owners could transform their boats to be fully electric.

Could your boat go electric?

Join us at this free event and discover how boat owners could transform their boats to be fully electric.

We’ve heard a lot about the switch taking place in cars from traditional fossil-fuelled powered engines to electric vehicles (EVs) but what about the electrification of boats? Lots of boat owners are keen to make their boats more sustainable and have less impact on the waterways but it often isn’t clear where to start, in particular with the big changes like converting the engine.

In this event we’ll be showcasing the Serafina, now “the largest electric passenger boat on the Thames” following support from OxFutures. We’ll hear from Giles Dobson, of Oxford River Cruises who own the Serafina, on what inspired him to make the switch, how he went about it, and what recommendations he’d make to others taking this journey.

Whilst Serafina is a commercial passenger boat, the principles hold true for domestic boat owners. This is also an opportunity for those who work in boat yards to find out more about the opportunities involved in converting boats.

We’ll also hear from Steve Drummond, of Green Narrowboat Ltd, a new service aiming to design and build more sustainable boats for Britain’s inland waterways.

Protecting the planet

Currently boats are largely powered by diesel and are responsible for direct CO2 emissions that are contributing to climate change. Diesel spills into our waterways are also common, negatively impacting water quality as well as aquatic and bird life.

If we are to meet our national targets to protect the planet, we need to hit net zero emissions by 2050. Work is underway in cutting the carbon emissions from other transport, as well as from our homes, through improved energy performance and moving away from traditional fossil fuel heating.

Let’s make sure that boats and boat owners aren’t left behind in this transition and are at the forefront of the clean energy transition.

The benefits of switching your boat to be fully electric are clear:

• Cut your carbon emissions and help tackle climate change.
• Reduce noise from your engine – diesel engines are noisy and smelly.
• Help protect our waterways and wildlife from pollution – electric engines don’t spill diesel into the water.
• Potentially lower running costs.

Come along to find out more. For more details of the event, follow the link below: