A green ferry future for Auckland, Tauranga and the world

Pāpahu Alliance

A green ferry future for Auckland, Tauranga and the world

Imagine a city where getting from getting around no longer erodes the environment or harms precious sea life. We have imagined this journey, and it starts with an alliance. ​​We’ve imagined a world for you, with your daily journey starting as as you step onto a light and bright ferry, gliding at speed through the ocean, leaving the path behind you untouched. ​​All over the world, the dolphin – or in Maori Pāpahu – is renowned for its power and grace, silently carving through water faster and with less effort than any other creature of the deep. ​​The Pāpahu Alliance is bringing the same spirit to ferry design – creating powerful, battery electric and hydrogen-ready hybrid ferries that will speed across our harbours quieter, smarter and cleaner than anything before.

Electric Ferry Network

Pāpahu Alliance is an opportunity to build and operate the world’s first large-scale, fully electric ferry network, right here in Aotearoa. It will transform fleets from diesel-power to electric, creating sustainable value through leadership in fast ferry IP, design and build, operation, establishing a green transportation export industry of global significance.​

Pāpahu Alliance is led by Fullers360, EV Maritime and Vector Energy, supported by ATEED, Priority One, Hamilton Jet, McMullen & Wing, McKay and Q-West. Together we are an alliance determined to transform the Auckland and Tauranga water transport systems through collaboration in a fully electric fleet. ​

The Pāpahu Alliance will see New Zealand’s innovators come together and deliver a new class of vessel, paving the way for an all-new green ferry experience.​

Ev Maritime
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Fullers360
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Vector
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Value creation

environment
Leading the way to a carbon-zero future
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innovation
Delivering cutting-edge maritime technology
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Communities
Connecting communities through an expanded network
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economic recovery
Unlocking growth through future-focused infrastructure
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regional development
Investing and developing regional New Zealand
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tourism
Providing world-class visitor experiences and enhancing our clean, green brand
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Export potential
Exporting Kiwi innovation to the world
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The Journey so far

In 2018, Fullers360 launched the Gulf2025 strategy to articulate its ambition to grow a larger, more effective water transport network that expands commuter offerings and grows the Auckland tourism sector. Gulf2025 provided the catalyst for research and development into e-ferries with over $500,000 invested by Fullers360 and EV Maritime in the design, application and business case for a new generation of sustainable marine transportation, over the past two years. ​

Fullers360 was poised to embark on the first of these hybrid projects prior to COVID-19. The impact of the pandemic on local and international tourism affects Fullers360’s ability to fund the capital investment as originally planned. An alliance of future-focused like-minded organisations have come together to build the future of ferry travel.

With joint investment, the construction of a new fully electric fleet is ready to start as soon as June 2020.​

Find out more about Gulf2025

Future focused technology

Electric and hydrogen-ready hybrid fast ferries demonstrate New Zealand innovation and draw on the unique strengths of New Zealand’s marine expertise. Harnessing a globally renowned marine technology, engineering, design and boat building industry, the Pāpahu Alliance will usher-in a new era in fast passenger ferry transportation.

Drawing on America’s Cup hydrodynamic and structural engineering, these new vessels deliver the performance and resilience we expect from diesel fast ferries, with significant advances in efficiency, customer experience, reliability and environmental impact.

These ferries will operate at higher speeds than electric ferries developed elsewhere in the world, using less energy, and delivering greater operational resilience.

Like Team New Zealand, RocketLab and other world-leading New Zealand enterprises, EV Maritime’s utilises advanced composite construction in its battery electric fast ferries to deliver strong, stiff, light and long-lasting structures.

The backbone of electric and hybrid ferries is their power systems, and EV Maritime has partnered with New Zealand’s leading engineering innovators to develop this electric fast ferry solution.

Showcasing world leading technology on our doorstep, the Papahu Alliance will provide the steppingstone to take New Zealand green transportation technology to the world.

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News

Auckland 2021: How will city’s transport system cope with APEC and America’s Cup?

  Five international events, prompting billions of dollars of redevelopment and bringing tens of thousands of visitors – 2021 will put Auckland in the world spotlight. But how will it transform the city and what benefits will it really bring? In the fourth in our series, we look at transport. Auckland’s visitor influx for an unprecedented series of major...

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Electric ferries: Auckland’s first-built in water in 2021

An Auckland firm hopes to be taking orders next year for a carbon-fibre, battery-powered commuter ferry it is developing for a global market. EV Maritime has been spun-off from established boat-builder McMullen and Wing, with the aim of becoming an early leader globally in electric fast ferries. Auckland’s Fullers’ Ferries has invested $300,000 in the firm’s research and development...

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Who should get Auckland’s clever ideas over the line?

The possibility that a world-renowned Auckland boat builder could become a global pioneer in building high-speed, high-tech commuter ferries is a compelling one. McMullen and Wing’s pitching of the project to build electric ferries made it to Auckland Council last week, but the response of assembled Auckland decision makers should ring alarm bells. A few polite detail...

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Contact Us

If you would like to hear more about our mission to transform the Auckland ferry network and establish a new green and innovative network in Tauranga, or show your support for the vision, we would love to hear from you.

L3 Ferry Building / L1 99 Queen St - Auckland
info@electricferries.co.nz
0800 FULLERS