Vessev debuts new solution for 'greater' energy efficiency at sea

New Zealand-based electric hydrofoiling technology company Vessev has unveiled its brand-new podded electric propulsion system engineered to ‘improve’ a vessel’s overall energy efficiency.

According to Vessev, the solution, which has been dubbed the VS–Drive, is a submersible motor that combines active cooling with custom direct-drive brushless motors in a modular design. It also possesses an internal closed-loop cooling system that allows it to maintain operating temperatures of below 50°C (around 122°F).

Vessev’s co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Max Olson, explained that, because of this, VS-Drive—which is expected to have a continuous output of 65 kW (90 horsepower) at 25 knots—is hoped to address a ‘prevailing’ challenge in electric marine propulsion: overheating.

More importantly, as disclosed, owing to the fact that the motor is directly connected to the propeller (therefore, eliminating gearboxes and long driveshafts), the solution has fewer moving parts than internal combustion engines and, as such, is anticipated to lower energy loss and ‘boost’ efficiency.

Officials from the Auckland-headquartered marine technology player said that this would, in turn, ensure zero-emission operations for units equipped with the VS-Drive.

As informed, the motor’s development