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Canada's largest electric tour boat has been launched in the country's capital city, Ottawa.

The 75-foot, 100-passenger vessel Queen Elizabeth Dr. is powered by two 80-horsepower Torqeedo electric motors. It is the first of two planned vessels to offer guided tours and host events on the Rideau Canal, which connects Ottawa, on the Ottawa River, to Kingston, on Lake Ontario. The second vessel, Colonel By, is expected to enter service in the spring of 2017.

"Torqeedo's high-power Deep Blue system was the obvious choice to propel Canada's largest electric passenger vessel because of its comprehensive safety systems," said Robert Taillefer, owner of The Queen Elizabeth Dr. and operator of Ottawa Boat Cruises. "These systems were fully vetted by the Canadian government in order to have the vessel certified."

The 1.5-hour tour travels from Chateau Laurier to Dow's Lake, passing more than 30 of Ottawa's landmarks, and runs four times a day. The Queen Elizabeth Dr. has two Deep Blue systems installed, but only one is used at a time. The canal is quite narrow for the long vessel; instead of turning around, it engages the second motor.

Meredith Brown, Ottawa's Riverkeeper, is pleased to see a new electric-powered tour boat in the city. "Our organization is always happy to see new opportunities for people to connect with the river in a sustainable way," she said, "and there is nothing like a quiet electric motor to help everyone enjoy the natural sounds of the river."

Ottawa is familiar with the benefits of electric boating - a Torqeedo-powered water taxi has served the downtown area for several years. When Parks Canada opened an opportunity for a new tourism operation within the site, it specified that only electric boats would be considered.

Torqeedo's Deep Blue line provides the horsepower, torque and performance of a diesel or gasoline-powered engine, without the noise, fumes and pollutants.

Torqeedo offers a wide range of outboard and inboard motors. They are powered by high-voltage lithium batteries with recharge times that are said to be exceptionally fast.

Robert Taillefer

Robert Taillefer comes from a maritime family. Over 30 years ago, his parents started a ferry service on the Ottawa River between Rockland and Thurso that would become a successful charter cruise business called Ottawa Boat Cruise.

Ottawa Boat Cruise recently purchased Paul's Boat Lines' Ottawa River operations, including its tour boat, the Paula D. The river tour vessels are being rebranded as 'World's Famous Paul's Boat Lines.