New York Launches Landmark Hybrid-Electric Ferry Service to Governors Island

The Trust for Governors Island has unveiled the Harbor Charger, New York State’s first hybrid-electric public ferry. The vessel enters service today, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Governors Island being open to the public.

“Twenty years ago, Governors Island opened to the public for the first time, creating a green, clean, sustainable space for New Yorkers to enjoy. Today, we are doubling down on that legacy with the launch of this first-of-its-kind electric ferry,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

The vessel features Siemens Energy’s BlueDrive Eco diesel-electric propulsion system, BlueVault battery solution, and EcoMAIN monitoring technology. The hybrid system allows operation in three modes: zero-emissions battery-only power, battery-assisted hybrid with diesel backup, and conventional propulsion. In hybrid mode, the ferry will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 600 tons annually.

The $33 million vessel resulted from a citywide naming competition that drew more than 800 submissions, with Brooklyn resident David Kurnov submitting the winning name. The Harbor Charger can travel up to 66 percent faster than current ferries, providing quicker access to the island.

Federal support has been crucial to the project. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer noted, “When I helped write and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, this sort of new, clean-energy transportation was exactly what I had in mind.”

The Trust secured $7.5 million in federal infrastructure funding for shoreside rapid charging infrastructure, which will enable fully electric operations in the future and reduce emissions by an additional 800 tons annually.

The Harbor Charger was built at Conrad Shipyard in Morgan City, Louisiana, and traveled up the Eastern Seaboard this spring. With capacity for 1,200 passengers and 30 vehicles, it will replace the diesel-powered Lt. Samuel S. Coursen, which was commissioned by the U.S. Army in 1956 and has served continuously since then.

Governors Island has evolved into a hub for climate innovation over the past two decades, hosting organizations like Billion Oyster Project and the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School. In April 2023, The New York Climate Exchange was selected to create an innovation district on the island, with Stony Brook University leading a consortium to develop a 400,000 square foot campus focused on climate solutions. Construction is expected to begin in 2026.

The new ferry represents the latest step in the island’s transformation from military outpost to public recreation space and climate research center.

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