Topic: A look at the new M17 Scania hybrid diesel-electric system (Read 19 times)
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Topic: A look at the new M17 Scania hybrid diesel-electric system (Read 19 times)
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Only when Patrik pushed the revs above 1250rpm did the two big diesels fire up. One of his key objectives when developing the hybrid system was to make it as simple and intuitive as possible. When chasing down a drug smuggler or evading enemy fire, the last thing you want to be doing is fiddling around between different drive modes so it all happens automatically.
The 16-litre Scania diesel engines deliver a thumping 1,150hp each
Whether it was the contrast with the silence in electric mode or the amplifying effect of the aluminium hull and wheelhouse, the big V8s did seem quite vocal when running at speed. Then again it’s not often we get to test engines of this size and power in something as small and focussed as this. The effect is dramatic, the co*bined torque of the big V8s and the twin electric motors hurtling the M17 across the water with the speed and agility of a true superboat. We eventually ran out of steam at 48 knots, rather than the claimed 50-55 knots, but given the number of passengers on board that’s hardly surprising.
What did surprise us is how quickly it accelerated out of the turns. With no shafts or sterndrive legs to grip the water, jet-drive boats are prone to spinning out when cornered too rapidly but by easing the throttle momentarily to allow the hull to sink lower in the water then using the instant torque of the electric motors (up to 2,000Nm per side from 0-1,300rpm) to power it out, Patrik pulled a full 180-degree turn while barely losing any speed – a very useful attribute when chasing down the bad guys!
Scania supplies the full diesel electric drivetrain while the waterjet drives are from MJP
It’s not all about speed and power, however. Another benefit of the hybrid set-up is that you can use one diesel engine to power both water jets. In this mode the electric motor on the active engine beco*es a generator, sending power to the electric motor on the other driveshaft. By alternating which engine is running, you can halve the total number of hours you’d normally put on them, extending their working lives and reducing the servicing bills as well.
While Marell hasn’t yet built a leisure version of the hybrid boat, there is no technical reason why it couldn’t – it has already built an M17 for a private customer with a full cruising interior and Volvo IPS650 drives – but the reality is that the cost is likely to prove prohibitive. And while we don’t have the figures to prove it, dragging around the extra weight of those big batteries is likely to offset any reduction in CO2 from the electric motors.
Twin screens show which mode is engaged but the co*puter automatically decides when to fire up the diesels
So while this remarkable boat may not yet make financial sense to a private buyer, it does offer some very clear benefits to the co*mercial sector and proves once and for all that hybrid boats can be just as fast, exciting and capable as petrol or diesel powered craft.
The electric motors bolt directly onto the gearboxes
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