December 23, 2020 By Frank McCormack Niagara Falls’ new Maid of the Mist ferries made a splash when they launched in October. The two catamaran-style passenger ferries are all-electric and billed as completely emissions-free. With their debut, the passenger vessels James V. Glynn and Nikola Tesla became the first all-electric passenger ferries to go into operation in the United States. The Maid of the Mist, which has been touring visitors around the falls since 1846, partnered with ABB to design the electric ferry system. Capitalizing on the attention the Maid of the Mist ferries have generated since their launch, representatives from ABB’s Marine & Ports division held a “tech talk” December 3 to look at the future of electric ferries in North America. ABB’s panel of experts included Bruce Strupp, ferry segment manager for ABB Marine & Ports; Peter Bryn, ABB technology manager, who’s involved in designing ABB’s electric and hybrid systems; and John Sicinski, head of engineering and project management for ABB Marine & Ports.