Navier to trial zero-emission water transit service in San Francisco Bay Area

Navier is to pilot a high-speed, zero-emission water transit service for San Francisco Bay Area commuters.

Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses, will be Navier’s initial partner in this program, with Navier providing water shuttle services for Stripe employees from Larkspur, California, to Stripe’s US headquarters in South San Francisco.

Transportation services under the Stripe pilot program will be operated by Navier Mobility, the company’s water transit arm. Navier will provide one of its flagship N30 six-passenger boats at launch this month, followed by another five to seven boats thereafter. The company plans to add passenger boats with expanded capacity to the service in the near future.

The N30 is said to be the USA’s first all-electric hydrofoil boat, with a design that reduces operational costs to only US$0.38 per mile, a 10x reduction compared to traditional boats. According to the company, the N30 also has the longest range of any electric boat in the world, clocking 100 miles at cruising speed.

The N30 was designed to address two key challenges that make smaller boats (i.e., those in the 24ft-45ft range) unfit for scalable transportation – cost and comfort. Gliding 4ft above the water, the N30 eliminates hydrodynamic resistance and provides a smooth, quiet ride with no sea sickness. It also eliminates the extensive infrastructure needed to operate large ferries – as it can operate from any marina – creating opportunities for more frequent, more efficient trips with higher capacity utilization.

The N30 currently seats six passengers. Navier is also developing expanded models that will seat up to 30 passengers for higher-traffic routes. Navier estimates that each 30-passenger hydrofoil model will reduce automobile usage by the equivalent of 120 cars, with a commensurate reduction in traffic and carbon emissions in coastal cities.

Sampriti Bhattacharyya, co-founder and CEO of Navier, said, “Navier’s mission is to introduce the next generation of high-speed, zero-emission water transportation, starting right here in the Bay Area. This pilot program will connect parts of the Bay Area where traditional ferries are not available, cutting commutes that take an hour or more to less than 30 minutes door-to-door – all with no carbon emissions.”

Bhattacharyya continued, “The pilot program with Stripe will provide a valuable case study as we explore ways to efficiently reduce employee commute times and emissions in coastal cities. Today, 46% of the world’s population lives in crowded coastal areas, which continue to struggle with traffic congestion, fossil fuel pollution and a lack of affordable housing options. Our pilot program demonstrates a clear path forward for these cities to reduce traffic, costs and emissions; connect business hubs with more affordable areas; and unlock the productive potential of millions of workers who would otherwise spend uncounted hours stuck in traffic.”

Navier plans to focus on Oyster Point in South San Francisco going forward, as it has over 200 companies and approximately 20,000 employees based there. The company’s initial route under the pilot program will run from Oyster Point to Larkspur, with additional routes such as to Alamenda, Berkely, Emeryville, Oakland and Sausalito planned.

The company will work with existing operators in the Bay Area to operate the electric vessels as part of its service. The shuttles will be equipped with wi-fi and tables to enable en-route productivity.

“Navier conducted a successful, month-long roadshow to engage city officials, transportation departments and other stakeholders in some of the country’s largest coastal cities last October and received overwhelming positive interest in bringing high-speed water transit to each metro,” said Bhattacharyya.

“It is deeply gratifying to start on this path with a pilot program that contributes to the revitalization of our home base of San Francisco. We look forward to rapidly growing to serve other coastal cities such as New York, Boston, Seattle and Miami, among others. The clean, high-speed revolution in water transportation – and its benefits for commuters, companies and cities everywhere – is just beginning.”

Read more of the latest ferries and cruises updates from the electric and hybrid marine technology, here.