World's northernmost fully electric car ferry starts sailings in -25°C
The debut couldn't have been any colder. However, operations have gone surprisingly well after the ferry started to shuttle between two of Norway's northernmost islands on January 1st.
New year started with extreme cold in northernmost Europe with temperatures falling as low as -25°C even along the coast of Finnmark. If you wanted to prove that battery-powered technology works in cold climate, you couldn’t have found a better moment.
"This is not just about new ferries. It's about the future. About showing that green technology works – even in the far north, even in tough conditions," operator Torghatten said in a statement on Friday after the ferry has sailed in regular traffic for two weeks.
The 50 meters long M/F Vargsund has a capacity of 28 cars and 98 passengers. Sailing the route between Kvaløya and Seiland in Finnmark, she is officially the world's northernmost fully battery-powered car ferry.
A second ferry with similar in design, the M/F Seiland, will come around April 1st. From then, also the route between Nyvoll and Korsfjorden on the western shores of the Alta fjord in Finnmark will be served with zero emission.
Torghatten says their aim is not only to reduce its own carbon footprint, but also to pave the way for the entire industry. The company is Norway's largest ferry operator.
Last summer, the most heavily trafficked ferry connection in Northern Norway - between Bognes and Lødingen - started to be served with a fully electric ferry.
Northern Norway, along with the northernmost regions of Finland and Sweden, are now showcasing how the world is moving from a carbon emitting transport sector to zero emission future.
The Barents Observer has previously reported about pioneering projects like:
* The world’s northernmost battery-powered tour coaches.
* The electric snowmobile revolution.
* The first battery-powered fishing boat.
* Finnair and Widerøe's plans to launch short-haul commercial passenger flights.
* Battery-powered whale watching cruise from Tromsø, and similar cruise tours on Svalbard.
* Battery-powered airport express buses first came to Umeå in 2017.
* Electric mining-trucks at Aitik in Gällivare and LKAB in Kiruna.
* Fully battery-powered large post trucks.
* Northern Scandinavia is home to one of the world's most comprehensive fast-charger networks.
* Even Norway's Armed Forces use battery-powered bikes when guarding the border with Russia.
A total of 95.9% of all new cars registered in Norway in 2025 were electric vehicles.
