San Francisco Bay Ferry Contracts Nichols Brothers Boat Builders for Battery-Electric Ferries
U.S. public ferry service provider San Francisco Bay Ferry (SF Bay Ferry) has partnered with Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) to design and construct two cutting-edge battery-electric ferries. This collaboration is part of SF Bay Ferry’s Rapid Electric Emission Free (REEF) Ferry Program aimed at reducing emissions and promoting sustainable transportation in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The two 200-passenger battery-electric ferries will be designed to operate at 25 knots, servicing central bay routes connecting Oakland and Alameda to San Francisco. The vessels will feature a modular propulsion system with four independent propulsion units, Hydromaster drives, and a scalable energy storage system provided by EPSI Wärtsilä North America.
NBBB will work in conjunction with Incat Crowther, Wärtsilä North America, and Ockerman Automation Consulting on the construction of these innovative electric ferries. Gavin Higgins, CEO of NBBB, expressed enthusiasm for the project, highlighting its potential to create jobs and bolster California’s role in zero-emission transit solutions.
As part of the REEF Program, SF Bay Ferry has also procured three battery-electric high-speed passenger ferries from All American Marine. These 15-passenger vessels will operate on new routes connecting the region to Treasure Island and Mission Bay, with the first ferry expected to join the fleet in early 2027.
In addition to the new battery-electric vessels, SF Bay Ferry’s REEF Program includes converting four diesel 400-passenger ferries to zero-emission technology, terminal electrification, and expanding and electrifying the Central Bay Operations and Maintenance Facility in Alameda.