#PlugInFerry - Within a decade, you could be driving to Dover for the summer getaway in a hybrid car — and when you get there to the continent, you could be boarding a plug-in electric ferry, so writes The Times.co.uk.

According to ABB, the European engineering giant, hybrid electric vessels are coming on stream and plug-in hybrid technology could begin to rule the waves.

Offshore supply ships and deep-sea drilling vessels in the oil and gas industry are already embracing the new technologies, according to Heikki Soljama, the managing director of ABB ports and marine. "There are similarities with the car industry, where in the foreseeable future we do not see.... to find out what more, visit the newspaper's link here.

Afloat adds that notably ferry followers in particular may recognise the profile of the ferry in photo accompanying the Times piece. The ferry in question is SeaFrance Moliere, alas the current Stena Superfast X.

She is seen here in a former guise in the Port of Dover when she served SeaFrance, the French operator that no longer exists, though her fleetmates remain in service for successor MyFerrylink.com.

This Dover-Calais operator is owned by Eurotunnel /SCOP that runs in the highly competitive premier UK-France short sea-service that is also served by P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways.

The collapse of SeaFrance led to her eventual return to the same route albeit on charter to DFDS Seaways/LD Lines joint venture under the name Dieppe Seaways.

Stena had chartered the ferry to DFDS however this ceased in late 2014. This was followed as her Irish Sea entry as Stena Superfast X last month and directly replacing Stena Nordica. 

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, DFDS are expected to launch the former 'Nordica' as their Malo Seaways on the Strait of Dover route.