London gets solar-powered ferry

Hailed as the most technologically advanced passenger boat in the UK, the Serpentine Solar Shuttle made its first journey on a lake in Hyde Park yesterday. The boat cost $421,000 to build, is made entirely of stainless steel and carry 42 passengers at a leisurely speed of 8 kms (5 miles) per hour. With Britain currently experiencing a heat wave, the Met. Office here has been telling us that there’s a 30% chance that today will be the hottest day ever recorded in the UK, so the shuttle’s launch has certainly been timely. A  300-passenger solar-powered ferry to run on the Thames could be ready in 2008 and a  60-passenger solar-powered train for London’s Battersea Park is also a possibilty.