The P&O Pioneer, double-ended ferry that runs on diesel and electricity, was delivered Tuesday in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong province. Photo: Chen Jimin/China News Service, VCG

Visitors walk through the P&O Pioneer’s dining area on Tuesday. The ship can accommodate up to 1,500 passengers and 700 vehicles. Photo: Chen Jimin/China News Service, VCG

A worker examines batteries inside the ship Tuesday. A total of 1,160 high capacity batteries have been installed inside the ship’s four battery rooms. Photo: Chen Jimin/China News Service, VCG

Guangzhou Shipyard International Co. built the P&O Pioneer with bridges on both the bow and stern to shorten docking and departing times. The ferry is said to be the first and the largest of its kind to run between the Port of Dover in Britain and the Port of Calais in France. Photo: Chen Jimin/China News Service, VCG

The hybrid Yangtze Three Gorges 1 made its maiden voyage in March 2023 in Yichang, Central China’s Hubei province. Developed by China Yangtze Power Co. Ltd., the ship runs off of 7,500 kilowatt-hours of batteries. Photo: VCG

The Yangtze Three Gorges 1 can accommodate up to 1,300 passengers. Photo: A Ren

The Dawanqu Yihao, China’s first domestically produced hybrid-powered luxury catamaran, was delivered in August 2020 in Nantong, East China’s Jiangsu province. The ship can carry up to 948 passengers. Photo: VCG

In June 2020, the ship “Junlv Hao” made its maiden voyage in Wuhan, Central China’s Hubei province. The two-story vessel is the first China-made cruise ship to be powered by lithium batteries and can accommodate up to 300 passengers. Photo: Courtesy of China Ship Science Research Center