Next-generation hybrid cruise vessel debuts at the Port of Los Angeles

Harbor Breeze Cruises launched El Escudo, a 350-passenger hybrid harbor craft at the Port of Los Angeles featuring some of the newest emission-reduction technologies on the market. The vessel is capable of operating in fully electric, diesel, or hybrid modes. Development and testing was through the Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction (LA MER) Project with financial support from a $31 million CARB grant and $30 million in project partner matching funds. The result of a Port-led partnership with Harbor Breeze Cruises, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the Port of Long Beach, the project demonstrates scalable low-emission harbor craft technology.