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Electric boats: A-Z of the 37 best all-electric models

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Electric boats are here and they are quietly turning heads all over the world, we pick out 37 of the most exciting all-electric projects being built right now...

Electric boats are here to stay. What started as a trickle of electric craft over the past few years has turned into a torrent with everyone from Riva to Axopar jumping on the bandwagon.

Hybrid diesel electric boats are by no means a new concept in the marine world, but the latest generation of electric boats, not to mention electric outboard motors , is proving that this technology is no longer something to look forward to in the future, electric boats are a viable option right now.

Here at MBY.com, we’ve been following the electric boats revolution with intent for over a decade and now there are enough models on the market to make this style of boat a true competitor to conventional diesel and petrol-powered boats.

With a network of fast electric boat chargers already in place along the French Riviera, and plans for many more in marinas all over Europe and the UK, it looks like the electric revolution is now fully under way.

Read on for our round-up of the best electric boats currently in build…

35 of the best electric boats in build right now

Near silent cruising at 5-7 knots is the electric Alfastreet’s forte

Alfastreet 28 Cabin

These Slovenian-built boats are now a common sight on the Thames where their elegant lines, large sociable cockpits and clever lifting hard tops make them ideally suited to lazy days afloat.

Although most of them are available with powerful petrol outboard or sterndrive engines for fast coastal passages, Alfastreet also offers factory-fit electric boat versions of all its models for inland use.

Designed for slow speed displacement cruising , these are built for slipping along silently at 5-6 knots with zero emissions rather than rushing about at speed.

The top-of-the-range Alfastreet 28 Cabin, for example, is powered by twin 10kW motors for a top speed of around 7.5 knots and an estimated cruising range of 50nm at 5 knots from its twin 25kWh batteries.

Alfastreet 28 Cabin specifications

LOA: 28ft 3in (8.61m) Motor: 2 x 10kW Battery: 2 x 25kWh Top speed: 7.5 knots Range: 50nm Price: Approx £150,000 (inc. VAT)

Article continues below…

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Ski boats are all about instant-on torque to punch you out of the hole and leap on the plane. New California start-up Arc Boat Company is ensuring its upcoming Arc One ski boat will do just that, courtesy of its honking 350kW electric motor.

In case you’re wondering, that’s the equivalent of 475hp. Or around twice the juice on tap in the highest-capacity Tesla Model S. It also means a top speed of 40mph, and enough amps to keep you skiing or wake-boarding for up to five hours.

The aluminium-hulled 24-footer, with seats for 10, is the first offering from Los Angeles-based Arc, which is being headed-up by Tesla’s former head of manufacturing. He’s expecting the first electric boats to be delivered, with custom trailer included, this summer.

ARC One specifications

LOA: 24ft (7.3m) Motor: 350kW Battery: 200 kWh Top speed: 35 knots Range: 160nm at 35 knots Starting price: $300,000 / £226,000

The Boesch 750 offers all the style, heritage and performance you could wish for, and an electric motor

Boesch 750 Portofino Deluxe

This exclusive Swiss yard has been in business since 1910 building elegant retro sportsboats for lake and sea use.

Unlike Riva , it still builds exclusively in wood using a lightweight mahogany laminate construction that it claims is as strong and easy to maintain as a modern GRP hull.

All its craft use a traditional mid-mounted engine with a straight shaft propeller and rudder steering for maximum reliability and a flat trim angle, making them well suited for use as ski boats.

The current range comprises six models from 20ft to 32ft, however only the models up to 25ft are available as electric boats.

The top-of-the-range electric model, the Boesch 750 Portofino Deluxe, has twin 50kW Piktronik motors giving a top speed of 21 knots and a range of 14nm.

Boesch 750 Portofino Deluxe specification

LOA: 24ft 7in (7.5m) Motor: 2 x 50kW Battery: 2 x 35.6kWh Top speed: 21 knots Range: 14nm @ 20 knots Price: €336,000 (ex. VAT)

The Candela C-8 recently set a world record for electric boat endurance by covering 420nm in 24hrs

Candela C-8

With a claimed range of 50nm at 22 knots, overnight accommodation for two and a more robust deep vee foiling hull , this new Candela C-8 could be the electric boats game-changer we were waiting for.

Whereas the Candela C-7 looked oddly dated for such a high-tech boat, the C-8 has a purity of line to it that is fresh, modern and distinctive. With its vertical bow, slender beam and subtly contoured topsides free of scoops, slats or unnecessary styling lines, it has a pared back simplicity to it that oozes confidence.

It doesn’t need to shout for attention because every pair of eyes will be glued to it the minute it rises onto its foils and flies silently past the assembled onlookers, leaving nothing but a lingering aura of astonishment hanging in the air.

New for 2023, the C-8 will now be available with an uprated 69kWh Polestar 2 Standard battery pack, which considerably improves the range (as the Candela C-8’s recent world record attempt proved), and with the option of a center console deck layout.

Candela C-8 specifications

LOA: 27ft 11in (8.50m) Motor: 45-55kW Candela C-Pod Battery: 44-69kWh Top speed: 24 knots Range: 51nm Price: €290,000 (ex. VAT)

Watch our full test drive review of the Candela C-8

Electric motors powered by batteries, solar panels and ICE generators allow it to cruise night and day

Cosmopolitan 66

Newcomer Cosmopolitan Yachts is hoping to shake up the market for large electric boats with a striking new 66ft (20.1m) solar-powered catamaran called the Cosmopolitan 66.

An all-aluminium  multihull  design, the Cosmpolitan 66 features a vast amount of interior space thanks to a maximum beam of 35ft (10.67m).

The outside deck spaces are just as generous, with entertainment terraces fore and aft as well as wide side decks and a huge, almost square  flybridge .

Cosmopolitan 66 specifications

LOA: 66ft (20.1m) Motor: 2x 180kW Battery: 450kWh Top speed: 20 knots Range: TBC Price: TBC

Read more about the Cosmopolitan 66

Two-tiered windows provide big views and generous light down below

The new Vripack-designed Delphia 10 is a very versatile yacht. You can spec it with either a diesel engine of up to 110hp or an electric shaft drive from 40 to 80hp.

You can also tailor the layout to your needs with one of three standard arrangements. The Delphia 10 Sedan is a traditional pilothouse model with  walkaround  side decks and a large cockpit settee.

The Lounge model (pictured) uses a fully open design, with plenty of seating and a forward cockpit, securely contained within elevated side decks. And the Lounge Top model uses a large flat hardtop that makes a great platform for boat solar panels .

Delphia 10 specifications

LOA: 32ft 1in (9.78m) Beam: 11ft 5in (3.49m) Engines: Single inboard electric 40-80hp / up to 110hp diesel Top speed: 44 knots Price: £229,950 (inc. VAT)

Watch our full yacht tour of the Delphia 10

Duffy Sun Cruiser 22

You can’t talk about electric boats and not talk about Duffy. Since 1970, more than 14,000 of these surrey-topped, genteel bay and lake cruisers have been sold. In Duffy’s home port of Newport Beach, California, there’s an estimated 3,500 of them running around. It’s simply the world’s best-selling electric boat.

Beautifully-built, with cushy seats for 12, a built-in fridge, and a multitude of cupholders, the top-selling Duffy 22 makes the perfect cocktail-hour cruiser.

Don’t expect to get anywhere in a hurry. Top speed is a heady 5.5 knots courtesy of a 48-volt electric motor amped by a bank of 16 six-volt batteries.

One especially cool feature is Duffy’s patented Power Rudder set-up. This integrates the electric motor with the rudder and the four-bladed prop, allowing the whole assembly to rotate almost 90 degrees for easier docking.

Duffy Sun Cruiser 22 specifications

LOA: 22ft (6.7m) Motor: 1 x 50kW Battery: 16 x 6-volt Top speed: 5.5 knots Range: 40nm at 5.5 knots Starting price: $61,500 / £47,000

Four Winns H2e

Another member of the Beneteau Group vying to build the best electric boats, Four Winns will launch a 22ft model called the H2e in late 2022, which it claims is the first all-electric series production bowrider in the world.

Powered by a 180hp electric outboard motor from Vision Marine that promises a 35-knot top speed, the Four Winns H2e will get its American debut at the 2023 Miami Boat Show before going into full production in the summer.

Twin 700v batteries will be fitted, but there’s no word yet on the price or cruising range, but given Four Winns’ pedigree, you can expect the former to be very competitive indeed.

Four Winns H2e specifications

LOA: 22ft (6.7m) Motor: 180hp Vision Marine electric outboard Battery: 2x 700v Top speed: 35 knots Range: TBC Starting price: TBC

Frauscher 740 Mirage

The tag line for this Austrian yard is ‘Engineers of Emotion since 1927’, and given the effect its boats tend to have on casual observers, let alone the person sitting behind the helm, we’re inclined to agree.

Simply put, it builds some of the best looking boats on the market, combining rakish proportions with cutting-edge style and exquisite detailing.

Although it builds petrol-powered boats up to 39ft offering searing performance, it also offers most of its smaller craft with the option of silent, emissions-free electric power.

The Frauscher 740 Mirage is a perfect example of this, offering two different electric Torqeedo motors of either 60kW or 110kW. The more powerful of these delivers a top speed of 26 knots and a range of 17-60nm depending on how fast you go.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, Frauscher have also teamed up with Porsche for an all-electric version of their 8.5m Fantom model, which is due to launch in 2024 as part of a limit edition 25-boat series.

Frauscher 740 Mirage specification

LOA: 24ft 6in (7.47m) Motor: 1 x 60-110kW Battery: 40-80kWh Top speed: 26 knots Range: 17-60nm @ 26-5 knots Starting price: €216,616 (ex. VAT)

Greenline 40

Slovenian-based Greenline Yachts can lay claim to kickstarting the current trend for electric boats. Way back in 2008 it launched the first affordable diesel electric hybrid boat, a formula it has been refining and improving ever since.

Greenline now offers an extensive range of cruisers from 33ft to 68ft, all of which are available with all-electric as well as hybrid or conventional diesel power.

The mid-range Greenline 40 is a fine example; the all-electric version is powered by twin 50kW motors giving it a top speed of 11 knots and a range of up to 30nm at 7 knots with a small 4kW range extender increasing that to 75nm at 5 knots.

However, if you need more flexibility the Hybrid model is fitted with twin 220hp Volvo D3 diesel engines boosting the speed to 22 knots but still allowing electric-only cruising at 5 knots for up to 20nm.

Greenline 40 specification

LOA: 39ft 4in (11.99m) Motor: 2 x 50kW Battery: 2 x 40kWh Top speed: 11 knots Range: 30nm @ 7 knots Price: €445,000 (ex. VAT)

Hermes Speedster E

Inspired by the curvy lines of Porsche’s classic 1950s 356 Speedster, this achingly-gorgeous Hermes Speedster from UK-based Seven Seas Yachts, has been spinning heads since 2017.

The rakish, Greek-built 22-footer typically comes with a 115hp Rotax Biggles-style motor doing the powering. But more recently it’s been offered with an eco-friendly, 100kW electric motor juiced by a 30 kilowatt-hour battery pack.

Flat out it’ll do just over 30 knots. But throttle back to a more leisurely five knots and it’ll glide in stealthy silence for up to nine hours on a charge. Perfect for a trip up the Thames.

And for lovers of retro, it boasts a curvy chrome-framed windscreen, chrome-ringed gauges in a hand-stitched leather dash, bucket front seats in glove-soft marine leather, and chrome air intakes on the rear deck. A nautical piece of art? You bet.

Hermes Speedster E specifications

LOA: 22ft (6.7m) Motor: 100kW Battery: 1 x 35kWh Top speed: 30 knots Range: 50nm at 5 knots Price: $269,000 / £203,000

Hinckley Dasher

Mention the name Hinckley and you immediately conjure-up an image of gorgeous teak-and-stainless, water-jet-thrusted Picnic Boats. But the legendary New England builder has been looking to the future and investing big in electric power.

Its first offering is the sleek 28-foot, all-electric Dasher that comes complete with a BMW-developed lithium-ion battery pack and twin 80hp Torqeedo Deep Blue motors. The high-tech combo can punch the Dasher to a top speed of 23.5 knots. Ease back to seven knots and it’ll run for over five hours on a charge.

Available as an open-deck, fishing-focused runabout, or classic-style windshielded day boat, the Dasher is a hand-built Hinckley bow to stern.

That said, while the boat still looks like it oozes with mirror-varnished teak and stainless fittings, the teak is actually hand-painted composite, the stainless is 3D-printed titanium. That flag-blue hull? Made of carbon-epoxy composites with carbon stringers.

Hinckley Dasher specifications

LOA: 28ft 6in (6.7m) Motor: 2 x 50kW Battery: 40kWh Top speed: 23.5 knots Range: 40 miles at 20 knots Starting price: $545,000 / £412,000

The electric Iguana is capable of three knots on the land and 30 knots at sea

Iguana Foiler

Iguana Yachts has launched the world’s first battery-powered amphibious boat, called the Iguana Foiler. As if that weren’t enough, it also features folding foils and retractable caterpillar tracks.

The all-new 33ft Iguana Foiler is powered by a specially adapted version of Evoy’s new prototype 300hp electric outboard motor fed by a 120kWh lithium-ion battery bank.

To reduce drag and increase range, it rides on a pair of curved surface-piercing foils that fold down from each side and a third T-shaped foil at the rear fitted to a specially extended lower leg of the outboard.

Iguana Foiler specifications

Length: 32.8′ / 10m Beam (min): 10′ / 3.1m Engine: Single 300hp EVOY electric outboard Top speed: 30 knots Range: 50 miles Capacity: 8 people Price: TBC

Read more about the Iguana Foiler

The compact Magonis E-550 is a refreshinghly affordable electric option

Magonis Wave e-550

Spanish newcomer Magonis may not be the prettiest electric boat on the market but it is certainly one of the most affordable, with prices starting from as little €33,485 inc VAT.

Admittedly that only buys you the least powerful displacement-only 4kW version but even the most powerful 30kW model starts at a relatively modest €68,960 and boasts a top speed of 22 knots.

The key to its performance is a lightweight resin-infused hull that weighs just 335kg, which is powered by off-the-shelf electric outboards from Torqeedo and Mag Power.

Despite its diminutive proportions the squared-off bow means it is Category C rated for up to six people. Battery sizes vary from 10kWh to 23kWh according to engine power, giving a range of up to 60nm at 5 knots.

Magonis Wave e-550 specifications

LOA: 18ft 0in (5.50m) Motor: 1 x 4 – 30kW Battery: 1 x 10 – 23kWh Top speed: 22 knots Range: 30nm @ 3 knots Starting price: €33,485

Mantaray M24

What makes this 24ft Mannerfelt-designed runabout particularly interesting is its simplicity. Unlike its main foiling rival, the Candela C-7, the Mantaray M24 requires no complicated electronics to ‘fly’.

Instead it uses the builder’s patented mechanical hydrofoil system, which it has trademarked as Dynamic Wing Technology or DWT.

The technology is said to be the result of ten years’ development work and uses a retractable T-foil in the bow and H-foil amidships that self-stabilise mechanically.

Mantaray M24 specifications

LOA: 24ft 0in (5.50m) Motor: 48kW Battery: 26kWh Top speed: 30 knots Range: 60nm Starting price: TBC

Read more about the Mantaray M24

The Marian M800 doesn’t make any compromises on style or speed

Marian M800 Spyder

This Austrian yard only manufactures all-electric boats so they can be designed from the ground up to suit the packaging requirements of the battery and motor rather than having to accommodate big petrol or diesel engines too.

The result is a supremely elegant range of retro-inspired sportsboats from 19ft to 26ft, as well as a more prosaic lake cruiser. The latest M800 Spider, launched at the 2021 Cannes Yachting Festival , is its prettiest boat yet, rivalling the Riva Iseo for sheer style.

With each boat being built to order, you can specify anything from a 10kW electric motor and affordable 200Ah AGM batteries for lake use up to a 150kW motor and 125kWh lithium ion batteries for a top speed 34 knots (waterskiing is also possible) and a range of 30nm at 16 knots.

Marian M800 Spyder specifications

LOA: 25ft 9in (7.90m) Motor: 1 x 10-150kW Battery: 10-125kWh Top speed: 34 knots Range: 30nm @16 knots Starting price: €238,560

Styling is a bold mix of retro design cues and futuristic detailing

Mayla FortyFour

German start-up Mayla Yachts is close to launching the first of its outrageous all-electric performance boats, called the Mayla FortyFour. Based on a Petestep deep-vee hull platform, this ultralight carbon fibre electric boat promises top speeds of over 70 knots.

Twin 800kW dual-core electric motors deliver up to 2,150hp of power to tunnel-mounted surface drives and thanks to the 4,800Nm of torque on tap, the second you apply the throttles, acceleration should be fearsome.

Power comes from either an all-electric 500kWh lithium-ion battery or a smaller 400kWh battery backed up by a 400hp (300kW) diesel generator and fuel tank. This hybrid boat version should give a maximum range of 270nm at 30 knots.

Mayla FortyFour specifications

LOA: 44ft (13.4 m) Beam: 10ft (3.0 m) Displacement: 6,200kgs Water capacity: 200L Power: Twin 400-800kW Battery: 400-500 kWh Li-ion Top speed: 70 knots Cruising range: 70nm (electric) / 270nm (hybrid) Price: TBC

Read more about the Mayla FortyFour

Anyone who has watched America’s Cup boats in action will know foiling does wonders for performance, which is the thinking at Silicon Valley-based and Sergey Brin-backed Navier, which is currently developing one very cool, and very clever, hydro-foiling electric dayboat, the Navier N30.

With its retractable foils and twin 90kW electric motors connected to a 80kWh battery bank, the carbon-hulled Navier can soar four feet above the waves at over 30 knots. Throttle back to 20 and the projected range is over 75 nautical miles, which Navier claims makes this the rangiest 30ft electric boat in the world.

You cake your pick from a Cabin version or open Hardtop, both of which come with a nifty self-docking feature (demonstrated in the video above). Navier says that the 2023 production run has sold out and it is already taking deposits on 2024 boats.

Navier N30 specifications

LOA: 30ft (9.1m) Beam: 8ft 6in (2.6m) Motor: 2 x 90kW Battery: 80kWh Top speed: 35 knots Range: 75 miles at 20 knots Starting price: From $300,000 / £226,000

Nero 777 Evolution

Designed in Italy and built in Germany, the new Nero 777 looks like a very appealing combination of style and engineering know-how. Due to launch in 2024, it will come with a choice of five Evoy propulsion systems ranging from 60kW all the way up to 300kW.

The latter will offer an impressive top speed in excess of 50 knots, making this one of the fastest electric boats in development. And with a Petestep hull, it should offer a very comfortable ride even at such rapid speeds. Bring the speed back to a leisurely 5 knots and the claimed range shoots up to an impressive 108nm.

Design-wise, the Neto 777 Evolution taps into the current trend for fold-down balconies, which can create a water-level beach club effect – no mean feat on such a compact boat.

Nero 777 Evolution specifications

LOA: 25ft 6in (7.77m) Beam: 8ft 8in (2.63m) Motor: 60-300kW Battery: 40-126kWh Top speed: 50 knots Range: 108nm at 5 knots Starting price: From €287,500

Nimbus 305 Coupe E-Power

Legendary Swedish yard Nimbus is renowned for its thoughtfully designed and sturdily built boats and the 305 Coupe is no exception.

Although originally designed for conventional combustion engines, it has been successfully adapted for electric use with the aid of a Torqeedo Deep Blue electric motor and a pair of 12.8kWh lithium ion batteries.

The recommended cruising speed is a modest 5.7 knots giving a range of 22nm at this speed but this can be almost doubled with the aid of a second optional battery.

Nimbus 305 Coupe E-Power specifications

LOA: 33ft 3in (10.07m) Motor: 1 x 25kW Battery: 1x 40kWh Top speed: 6.5 knots Range: 22nm @ 5.7 knots Starting price: €265,000 (ex. VAT)

One of the most striking elements of the Optima E10 is its hull shape. This stabilised monohull design features a slender central hull flanked by even thinner external ones, creating tunnels underneath.

This design enhances efficiency by reducing drag, allowing the boat to achieve fast displacement speeds of approximately 14 to 15 knots. The external riggers also contribute to the boat’s stability, ensuring a comfortable and smooth ride.

Measuring 10m in length (around 33 ft), the Optima E10 is powered solely by electricity. It does not feature a hybrid drive or combustion engine, thus maximising its efficiency. The boat is equipped with two 63kWh Kriesel batteries and a 40kW electric motor from Rad propulsion, equivalent to approximately 54hp.

Optima E10 specifications

LOA: 36ft 1in / 11m Motor: 40kW Rad Propulsion Batteries: 120kWh Kriesel Top speed: 15 knots Range: 200 nautical miles @ 6 knots Starting price: £400,000

Watch our yacht tour of the Optima E10

Pixii’s aluminium hull and powerful battery should deliver impressive range and performance

Pixii SP800

Although this budding British brand has yet to launch one of its pretty new Pixii SP800 electric sportsboats, the first one is already in build on the Isle of Wight.

Featuring a light but strong aluminium hull with either one or two electric motors linked to a jet drive and what is said to be a class-leading 150kWh battery pack, it has all the ingredients of a formidable contender.

We’ll have to wait to see if it lives up to its maker’s claims of a 40-knot top speed, but if it does, it would make it one of the fastest electric production boats on the market.

It even has the option of a remote anchoring system that lets you jump off onto a beach then drive it out into deeper water before dropping the hook!

Pixii SP800 specifications

LOA: 24ft 6in (7.5m) Motor: 2 x 25kW Battery: 1x 150kWh Top speed: 40 knots Range: 100nm @ 14 knots Starting price: £114,000 (inc. VAT)

Persico Zagato 100.2

Performance boat specialist Persico is set to launch its first all-electric superboat this year, called the Persico Zagato 100.2. Designed in collaboration with iconic automotive design house Zagato, the 26ft stunner is built around a revolutionary new steerable electric waterjet pod from Italian start-up Sealence.

The 100.2 part of the name celebrates Zagato’s second century in business, the new electric boat features a reverse bow, wraparound windshield, aft sunpad, rear bench-sofa and two front pilot seats, plus cuddy space beneath the foredeck.

However, it’s the ultra-efficient electric drivetrain that is likely to cause the biggest stir. The single 205kW  Sealence DeepSpeed  420 steerable azipod is said to give the new boat a top speed of 43 knots and a cruising speed of around 24 knots, at which the range should be almost 50nm.

Persico Zagato 100.2 specifications

LOA: 25ft 11in (7.9m) Motor: 205 kW electric integrated jet pod Battery: 2x 83kWh Top speed: 43.5 knots Range: 47nm @ 24 knots Starting price: TBC

Read more about the Persico Zagato 100.2

Q-Yachts Q30

This Finnish yard was established in 2016 with the idea of developing an elegant electric boat that gave the same swift, silent cruising experience as a high-end sailing boat but without having to worry about sails and crew.

The result is the Q30, a stylish open day boat with striking minimalist looks and a super efficient hull shape that allows it to slip through the water at speeds up to 14 knots, making almost no noise or wake.

It’s powered by a pair of 10kW Torqeedo motors and a relatively meagre 30kWh battery but such is its efficiency that it will cruise for 10 hours at 6 knots or 5 hours at 9 knots.

Q-Yachts Q30 specifications

LOA: 30ft 6in (9.3m) Beam: 7ft 3in (2.2m) Motor: 2 x 10kW Torqeedo Battery: 30-40kWh Top speed: 14 knots Range: 60nm @ 6 knots, 21nm @ 14 knots Starting price: €183,000 (ex. VAT)

Distinctive rebated topsides are a growing trend in small sportsboat design

Rand Source 22

Rand Boats claims its new Rand Source 22 is one of the most affordable electric sportsboats on the market, as well as one of the fastest.

Two electric boat options enable it to cover both these extremes in addition to a range of inboard and outboard petrol and diesel engines of up to 250hp.

When propelled by Torqeedo’s Deep Blue 50 outboard, it will carry a price tag of less than €100,000 but when fitted with Rand’s much more powerful 170kW electric inboard it will be capable of short-burst speeds of up to 50 knots and sustained cruising at 28 knots.

Rand Source 22 specifications

LOA: 22ft (6.7m) Motor: 170kW Battery: TBC Range: TBC Top speed: 50 knots Starting price: €63,900

Read more about the Rand Source 22

Ripple Boats 10m Day Cruiser

Hailing from Norway and launched at the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival, Ripple Boats is a new brand founded by Frydenbø Marine and Pascal Technologies.

They have raised over €4million of funding for their start-up venture and their debut model will be a 10m day cruiser developed by Thorup Design.

Key features from the initial renderings include an extendable hard-top bimini with inset glazing, plus the now ubiquitous folding balconies.

Should this debut model prove successful, Ripple Boats have plans to build a wide range of electric boats from 6-11m.

Ripple Boats 10m Day Cruiser specifications

LOA: 32ft 10in (10m) Beam: 10ft 6in (3.2m) Motor: 2 x 93kW Battery: 190 kWh Range: 45nm Cruising speed: 25 knots Starting price: TBC

Only Riva could produce an electric boat that looks as pretty as this

Riva El-Iseo

As its name suggests the El-Iseo is an all-electric version of Riva’s entry-level sportsboat, the gloriously retro 27 Iseo.

The heart of the El-Iseo is a 250kW Parker GVM310 electric motor that spins a Mercury Bravo Three XR sterndrive leg. The prototype is capable of 40 knots, much the same as it delivers with its usual 300hp petrol or diesel engine options.

However, those who have driven the electric version say it’s the acceleration that really stands out. The quoted range figures are one hour at 25 knots or 10 hours at five knots, meaning a range of 25nm at planing speeds or 50nm in displacement mode.

Ferretti Group CEO Alberto Galassi says that they will not start selling the El-Iseo or commit to a price until they have thoroughly tested the prototype and are certain it will deliver the performance, safety and reliability expected of a Riva.

The production model will be packaged with the latest electronics including a smart management system that reduces speed when the battery runs low and collision-avoidance software. “If it is going to be a Riva, it has to be perfect,” said Galassi.

Riva El-Iseo specifications

LOA:   27ft (8.2m) Motor: 250kW Battery: 150kWh Top speed: 40 knots Range: 50nm Starting price: TBC

RS Pulse 63

RS Sailing is the first British yard to offer a production ready electric planing RIB in the form of the RS Pulse 63 . With a super efficient hull design by Jo Richards, the man behind the hugely successful RS range of sailing dinghies, and styling by superyacht studio Design Unlimited, it looks like a really enticing package.

Power comes from a brand new 40kW RAD propulsion system, that claims to be safer and more efficient than an exposed propeller, linked to a bespoke 46kW Hyperdrive battery pack.

This delivers a top speed of 23 knots and a range of 25-100nm miles depending on speed but can be further increased with the aid of an optional extra 23kWh battery pack.

RS Pulse 63 specifications

LOA: 20ft 8in (6.30m) Motor: 1 x 40kW Battery: 46kW Top speed: 23 knots Range: 25-100nm @ 20-5 knots Starting price: £82,800 (inc. VAT)

Watch our sea trial video of the RS Pulse 63

SAY Carbon Yachts 29 E

As the name suggests, this German yard is renowned for its ultra light, high performance carbon fibre craft and it’s these same properties that make the SAY Carbon Yachts 29 E such a compelling electric craft.

This slender, low draught speed machine weighs less than two tonnes all up, including a powerful 360kW Kreisel electric motor and 120kWh battery. Hardly surprising then that it also holds the record for the world’s fastest production electric boat (under 9m) after scorching to a top speed of 50 knots on an Austrian lake in 2018.

Use the power more sparingly and the yard claims a range of 25nm at 22 knots, while a built in 22kW charger delivers a full recharge in just six hours.

SAY Carbon Yachts 29 E specifications

LOA: 29ft (8.85m) Motor: 1 x 360kW Battery: 120kWh Top speed: 52 knots Range: 25nm @ 22 knots Starting price: €396,460 (ex. VAT)

Silent 28 Speed

Silent Yachts ’ electric-powered Silent 28 Speed grabbed headlines at the 2022 Cannes Yachting Festival thanks to a claimed top speed of more than 60 knots and an impressive range of 70nm at 30 knots. The secret to its performance is a foil-assisted hull with unique surface-piercing propellers.

Pushed along by twin 100kW eD-QDrive electric motors hooked up to a 100kWh lithium-ion battery bank topped up by built-in solar panels, it demonstrates that serious performance is no longer the preserve of petrol powered boats. No price has been announced.

Silent 28 Speed specifications

LOA: 28ft (8.6m) Motor: 2 x 100kW Battery: 100kW Top speed: >60 knots Range: 70nm Starting price: TBC

SpiritBARTech35EF

A marriage of gloriously retro styling and cutting-edge foiling technology, this electric foiler was commissioned as a chase-boat toy by the same European owner that took delivery in early 2020 of Spirit Yachts ’ largest and most technologically advanced project to date, the 111ft super-sloop Geist .

She was drawn by Spirit Yachts’ CEO and chief designer Sean McMillan, who admits to taking his principal inspiration from a slightly smaller twice Gold Cup winning hydroplane of mid-1920s America called Baby Bootlegger , which sported a similar near-plumb bow, long varnished foredeck and a two-seat cockpit.

The vessel encompasses a modified electric motor, developed for motorsport, and three integrated foils. The claimed top speed is 30 knots, but the usual fast cruise speed will be in the low 20s, at which the quoted range is 100nm.

This was put to the test on July 17, with the SpiritBARTech35EF setting a new electric boat record for fastest circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight, covering 51m in 1hr 56mins at an average speed just shy of 23 knots.

Spirit 35 Foiler specifications

LOA: 35ft (10.6m) Motor: TBC Battery: TBC Top speed: 28 knots Range: 100nm at 20 knots Price: Available on application

Read more about the SpiritBARTech35EF

Super Air Nautique GS22E

Based on the petrol-powered GS22 wake surf boat, the Super Air Nautique GS22E is packed with the best features available. These include a hydraulic folding wake tower, custom finishes, a configurable cockpit, and a customizable running surface that can change the characteristics from ski boat to wake surf or wakeboard use via a simple touchscreen at the helm. The boat can even be optioned with an electric stern thruster to make docking a doddle.

As well as being virtually silent underway, this electric boat version can offer up to three hours’ use on a single charge. The huge flat torque curve of the electric power plant perfectly suits tow sports use and onboard telemetry constantly monitors and reports the engine’s performance.

The significant $140,000 premium over the petrol powered version means this model will not be for everyone, however the emissions-free GS22E is the first of its kind and potentially the wake surf boat of the future.

Super Air Nautique GS22E specifications

LOA: 22ft / 6.7m Motor: 1 x 220kW Battery: 124kWh Top speed: 37.5 knots Range: 2-3hrs usage Starting price: $312,952

Vita isn’t just a boat-building company, it also hopes to sell off-the-shelf electric drivetrains to other yards. Given the impressive performance and range of its own flagship LION model, this could prove a very smart move.

This elegant 10.5m day boat packs roughly the same amount of battery power as four Tesla 3 models and, thanks to a pair of 150kW electric motors linked to a single Mercury Bravo sterndrive, it goes like one too.

In fact Vita has to limit the amount of torque the motors put out to stop it shredding the gears. Despite this it maxes out at around 35 knots and can cruise for 90 minutes at 22 knots or almost 10 hours at 6-7 knots.

Vita LION specifications

LOA: 32ft 9in (10.5m) Motor: 2 x 150kW Battery: 235kWh Top speed: 35 knots Range: 33-70nm @ 22-7 knots Starting price: £750,000 (ex. VAT)

Watch our full sea trial review of the Vita LION

Voltari 260

Typically, the brand new Voltari 260 electric boat is all about going fast. With its high-torque 740hp electric motor juiced by a 142kWh bank of lithium-ion Evereadys, it can slice and dice the waves at an impressive 52 knots.

But when there’s a world record to be broken, it’s worth a compromise or two. So, to claim the gong for covering the longest overseas distance in an electric “vehicle” on a single charge, the Voltari streaked along at a heady… 4.3 knots.

That meant covering the 91-miles between Key Largo, Florida, across the often-boisterous Gulf Stream, to Bimini in the Bahamas in what must have seemed an endless 20 hours. But it got the job done, and on a single charge.

Voltari 260 specifications

LOA: 28ft 11in (8.6m) Motor: 551kW Batteries: 142kWh Top speed: 52 knots Range: 91 miles @ 4 knots Starting price: $450,000

Read more about the Voltari 260

The big claim for the new X Shore 1 is that it’s the first all-electric 30-knot sportsboat to be priced at under €100,000 ex taxes, making it the cheapest electric planing runabout in Europe.

With an LOA of 21ft 4in (6.5m), it is around 5ft shorter than the original X-Shore Eelex 8000 and €150,000 cheaper. It is powered by a 125kW electric motor with a single 63kWh Kreisel battery (the Eelex has a 225kW motor and two 63kWh batteries) but thanks to the 1’s smaller, lighter hull it boasts the same top speed of 30 knots and a similar range of 20nm at 20 knots or 50nm at 6 knots (the Eelex can do 100nm at low speed).

The X-Shore 1 is available either as an open boat with a half height windscreen or a semi-enclosed Top version with the aid of an extended windscreen, a small hard top and canopies protecting the helm. Unlike the walkaround Eelex, it also has an enclosed foredeck with a cuddy underneath for overnighting.

X Shore has also started branching out into the realm of commercial boats. Based on the Eelex 8000 platform, the first X Shore Pro is being used for school transportation in the Swedish archipelago.

X-Shore 1 specifications

LOA: 21ft 4in (6.5m) Motor: 125kW Battery: 63kWh Top speed: 30 knots Range: 50nm @ 6 knots Starting price: <€100,000 (ex. VAT)

Watch our full video tour of the X-Shore 1

ZIN’s waif-like sportsboat has a claimed range of 100nm at 13 knots

Seattle-based start-up Zin Electric Boats claims an astonishing range of up to 100nm for its pretty little Z2R sportsboats. Its secret is a super-lightweight all-carbon fibre hull that allows it to plane efficiently at just 13 knots.

As with many of these boats it is powered by Torqeedo’s 55kW electric motor linked to the same company’s 45kWh battery adapted from the BMW i3 electric car.

The first prototype reached a faintly terrifying 48 knots flat out but the production version is being limited to 30 knots to extend the range. Acceleration should still be lightning quick though thanks to the motor’s impressive torque.

Zin Z2R specifications

LOA: 20ft 0in (6.1m) Motor: 55kW Torqeedo Battery: 40kWh Top speed: 30 knots Range : 100nm @13 knots Price: $250,000 (ex. VAT)

Zodiac 450 e-jet

French RIB specialist Zodiac is developing an entire range of small, affordable electric RIBs in conjunction with Torqeedo, but in the meantime it has already started building a state-of-the-art electric jet-RIB, predominantly for use as a superyacht tender.

Powered by a 50kW Torqeedo Deep Blue motor with a 40kWh battery from the BMW i3 car driving a low drag water jet, it can reach a max speed of 30 knots.

It also boasts a useful 90 minutes of cruising time at 24 knots, equating to a range of 36nm. High quality Neoprene tubes, retractable seating and hand-sewn quilted seats help justify its price and intended target market.

The new 3.1m and 3.4m eOpen range won’t be quite as quick but will have a range of around 10nm at 12 knots, and with prices from €25,200, they’re more affordable.

Zodiac 450 e-jet specifications

LOA: 14ft 9in (4.5m) Motor: 50kW Torqeedo Battery 40kWh Top speed: 30 knots Range: 36nm @ 24 knots Price: €140,800 (ex. VAT)

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• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

How hybrid sailing yachts finally became a feasible option

• May 17, 2019

They’ve been a long time coming, but marine hybrid propulsion systems are finally a working reality, as Sam Fortescue reports

The Bootswerft Heinrich-built 13m Yamila uses an Oceanvolt electric motor rather than a diesel engine. Photo: Peter Minder

Every sailor is familiar with the wet cough of the diesel engine, and the acrid smell of its exhaust. For some it’s the sign that an adventure is starting, for others it is the reassurance that all is well on board the boat. The traditional engine is perhaps your boat’s most important safety feature, but its days may be numbered.

The electric sailing revolution is coming – and though adoption in the marine sector is proving much slower than in the automotive world ashore, progress is being made.

The market is still relatively small. Clear market leader Torqeedo had sales of €25m last year, most of which was in ferries and compact outboards. It also offers a range of saildrive and pod drive motors for yachts displacing from 2 to 50 tonnes, or roughly 20-60ft LOA.

But sailors have been slow on the uptake, and for one good reason: if you’re planning to cross an ocean or take on tough conditions offshore, you rely on your engine to help you outrun danger or motor through the doldrums – sometimes for days at a time.

Oceanvolt AXC series is a modular shaft drive system (10kW to 40kW) that will fit in place of a tradition diesel engine

Even with the current crop of advanced lithium-ion boat batteries , the range of an electric system is measured in tens of miles, not hundreds. So a 35ft monohull with 10kWh of lithium battery (four units weighing 96kg in total) would have a range of just 24 nautical miles at 3.8 knots, or less than 16 nautical miles at full throttle.

Taking into account the incredible wastage of combustion engines, which dissipate more energy as heat and noise than they provide in propulsion, diesel is still ten times more energy dense than batteries.

Full-carbon luxury daysailer Yamila uses an Oceanvolt SD8 8kW electric saildrive system. Photo: Tobias Stoerkle

“When you look at bluewater cruisers, of course you will have a diesel,” says Torqeedo’s founder and CEO, Dr Christoph Ballin. “And it’s right that not many coastal sailors opt for pure electric.”

But that doesn’t mean that electric has no interest for cruising sailors – far from it. The more common route for ‘normal’ sailors will be to combine diesel and electric in a hybrid sailing system.

Under this model, the engine is replaced by an electric motor, hooked up to a bank of lithium batteries. This can be charged via hydrogeneration – when the speed under sail turns the propeller and puts charge back into the batteries – and solar or wind. But when extended periods under power are required a standalone DC generator, which can be installed anywhere on board, supplies the electricity.

This is the set-up recommended by Finland’s Oceanvolt, which has focused on the cruising sailing market with a range of shaft and sail drive motors from 3.7kW to 15kW (roughly 10hp to 45hp in diesel engine terms).

“In the case of the round-the-world cruiser, we recommend a hybrid system with a backup genset to support continuous drive when/if needed,” says Oceanvolt CEO Markus Mustelin. “A regenerating prop, which spins while sailing and recharges the batteries (sacrificing 0.2-0.4 of a knot, depending on the boat and conditions) makes it possible to be almost independent of the genset and use it only for backup.”

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This system has the advantage that the generator is only needed on longer passages, so the boat still manoeuvres silently in and out of ports and anchorages.

And a well-designed, correctly sized generator is much more efficient at turning diesel into electricity than an engine not originally designed for the job. Some sailors opt for an in-line hybrid system, like those offered by Hybrid-Marine, which bolts onto the existing diesel.

These are easier to retrofit, with many of the same characteristics as the full hybrid system, but there’s the disadvantage of still having an engine boxed away somewhere near the middle of the boat.

Electro magnetism

Until now, most business has been done through retrofitting existing yachts. But an increasing number of yacht builders are looking to include electric propulsion as original equipment. The world’s third largest boatbuilder, Hanse Yachts , is perhaps the most advanced – offering its entry-level Hanse 315 with an electric rudder-drive option.

The system takes up less space than the standard diesel, is much quieter and vibration- and emissions-free. But Hanse admits take up has been disappointing.

The technology has found more interest among lake sailors. Innovative young German brand Bente has been fitting Torqeedo motors to its successful 24ft model, originally designed for Germany’s ‘Green Lakes’.

Closer to home, dinghy specialist RS Sailing has decided to fit a retractable electric drive to its new RS21 keelboat. Already christened the ‘invisible gennaker’, the system is based on Torqeedo’s Travel 1003 outboard motor.

Bigger race boats have also been attracted by the lure of low-weight propulsion. Just look at Malizia , an IMOCA 60 being prepared for the 2020 Vendée Globe with a lightweight Torqeedo system.

“Emissions-free round the world under race conditions, while simultaneously producing your own energy, is a thoroughly inspirational concept,” said Malizia skipper Boris Herrmann.

Electric has also been successful at the luxury end of the market, where lithium-ion batteries account for a smaller share of the boat’s overall cost. A 50ft Privilege 5 catamaran and a carbon fibre Gunboat 60 have both been retrofitted with Torqeedo kit, while Oceanvolt appears on a Swan 57 and an all-carbon Agile 42.

Overview of the Torqeedo Deep Blue propulsion system installed in the Gunboat Moonwave

The Gunboat Moonwave has two 25kW Deep Blue saildrives both capable of regenerating under sail. There is still a generator on board to extend battery range offshore, but “they no longer use the generator – it’s just for emergency,” says Torqeedo’s Ballin.

Spirit Yachts is also designing electric propulsion into its Spirit 111  flagship, due for launch this summer. With four big 40kW lithium batteries aboard and a 100kW motor, the yacht will be able to operate silently for hours, although it also has 100kW of diesel generator capacity.

“The real focus is not the propulsion,” explains Spirit director Nigel Stuart, “but that everything works in harmony, from galley equipment and hot water to heating, air conditioning, hydraulics etc.” The British yard is also building a 65-footer using Oceanvolt hybrid technology and a new 44-footer that is pure electric.

With racing on one hand and high-end cruisers on the other, there is something of a gap in the middle. By Torqeedo’s own admission, the cruising sailor hasn’t been a big focus of the electric revolution, but all that is about to change. “We started a bit late with sailing,” Ballin admits, “but in the next five to eight years it will be addressed big time.”

Fully integrated electric drive system will power the new 111ft Spirit Yachts flagship

What does that really mean? Well, in the first instance, it means system integration. If that doesn’t sound revolutionary, then imagine a set-up on board where solar panels, hydrogenerators, batteries, generators and motors all worked seamlessly together to keep the yacht supplied with ample power around the clock. “That’s what people are willing to pay for: plenty of energy with heating or air-con through the night,” says Ballin.

The future of hybrid sailing

In the near future, Torqeedo is planning a new range-extending DC generator specifically for hybrid sailing boats. Its existing unit is built by WhisperPower and provides 25kW, which is too much power for boats using the pod drive system.

The genset will be designed to operate at optimum revolutions, while clever DC to DC conversion decouples the battery voltage from the charging voltage, for much greater efficiency.

With boats, just as with cars, the breakthrough that will make all the difference is around battery capacity. Until range under electric power can match that of diesel, there will be many sceptics. And that isn’t likely to happen for a decade or more, according to Ballin.

“Theoretically, they’ve tested batteries in labs that are ten times more efficient than lithium,” he explains. “And if that comes through, then gasoline is done. But we are trying to combine long-term vision with short-term mindset.”

In the meantime, the prevalent technology is based on lithium-manganese-cobalt, and a process of steady development is making this 5-8% better each year. For example, BMW has just announced its next generation i3 battery, used by Torqeedo’s Deep Blue system, will be able to hold 40kWh of power – an increase of 33% for the same size, weight and nearly the same cost.

Torqeedo Cruise 2.0 FP Pod Drive is suitable for small yachts up to 4 tonnes – a folding prop can also be fitted

The other area of development is around the propeller. Most cruising systems use a folding or feathering prop designed for diesel engines. But Torqeedo’s own research shows that the consistently high torque of an electric motor is best utilised by props with variable pitch.

And yet it is Oceanvolt that has addressed this issue specifically for electric motors with its Servo Prop system, which it claims to be 30% more efficient ahead, 100% better astern and 300% more efficient in regeneration mode.

Oceanvolt says that this prop can pump around 500W into the batteries at just 5 knots – the average pace of a 30ft monohull. At 6 knots that rises to around 800W, and at a very manageable 7 knots for a larger ocean cruiser you get 1.2kW.

“A new technology can rarely compete in price with an established one in its initial growth phase,” says Mustelin. “However, we have passed this and today electric systems are offered at a quite competitive price. When you add to that the fact the electric system is almost service free, the total cost of ownership is turning in favour of electric.”

So, you may not hear them approach, but expect to see more and more electric-powered boats on the water as the revolution continues.

A question of torque

A key part of the viability of electric propulsion rests on the notion that a smaller motor can achieve the same work as a bigger diesel. There are two elements to this. First, a diesel engine is not an efficient converter of chemical energy into thrust, creating a lot of heat and noise in the process. Second, the torque characteristics of electric are much better than diesel.

Mustelin says that Oceanvolt’s 10kW motor “easily outperforms” a 30hp diesel. “Typically, maximum boat speed will be somewhat lower (0.5kt-1.0kt) than with a comparable diesel engine, but at the same time the boat will maintain the speed better in heavy seas and headwind due to higher torque. Manoeuvrability is much better in confined marina spaces.”

That’s because combustion engines only reach peak power (and maximum torque) over a small range of speeds. Torque is a measure of turning power – at the propeller in the case of a boat.

A diesel engine develops optimum torque between 1,800-2,000rpm, while electric motors deliver it from 0 to around 2,000rpm. This allows electric motors to use higher efficiency propellers that are slimmer and more steeply pitched.

Engine-driven: The ‘alternator on steroids’

It has taken years of development and over $10m of funding, but renowned boat systems expert Nigel Calder has helped design an alternator so powerful that it eliminates the need for a generator on board.

Mounted on the engine, on the second alternator position, the Integrel can produce five to ten times more power. Sitting behind the system is at least 10kWh of lead acid batteries (lithium is also an option), and Victron chargers and inverters.

“If you crank the engine it’ll charge the batteries; if you’re running with the engine in neutral, it’ll know it’s in standalone generator mode and switch to that algorithm,” explains Calder. “It will likely be cheaper than a generator installation, and eliminates the issue of the through-hulls, the cooling circuits, the long running hours, the maintenance.”

The system allows you to run all sorts of creature comforts on board that would normally require a generator: from hot water on-demand to coffee makers and freezers. “We honestly believe that this system is going to supplant generators on almost all boats that currently have, or would like to have, a generator,” adds Calder.

With the engine in gear and at low revs, tests show how the Integrel can produce some 2kW of power without increasing fuel consumption or reducing speed – simply utilising the engine’s wasted capacity. This means it will work with the yacht’s existing engine – no need to overspec – and it has already been successfully installed on a new Southerly 480, a Malo 46 and a similar-sized Hallberg-Rassy.

Case study: Dufour 382 Alcyone

Built by Dufour in 2016, Alcyone was immediately retrofitted professionally with Oceanvolt’s SD15 saildrive motor, supplied by a 14kWh lithium battery bank. Owners Michael Melling and Diana Kolpak also specced an 8kWh DC generator for range extension. The fit out cost €30,600 for the motor and battery system, plus an additional €13,744 for the generator, and installation costs were around €8,000.

They charter the boat out near Vancouver, for exploring Desolation Sound and the surrounding area where silent, clean propulsion is a selling point. “Nothing spoils the joy of sailing – or a secluded anchorage – more than the noise and smell of diesel engines,” they explained. “Installing an Oceanvolt system in our new boat has freed us from that. It’s the way of the future.”

Charter manager Merion Martin said the conversion has also been popular with charter customers, adding: “The main advantage of the system is that it consistently uses around 40% less fuel than a standard diesel engine over the course of a week’s charter. But understanding the power management system takes a bit of getting used to, and the many components involved in the system can make troubleshooting a challenge.”

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THE FUTURE IS ELECTRIC

E-motion is the only supplier of standardized hybrid propulsion systems that fit into the existing engine room of all serial production yachts from 40-250 feet..

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The Best Hybrid Superyachts in the World

These eco-conscious vessels offer all the luxury of your typical superyacht.

By Emma Al-Mousawi

Hybrid power is seen as one of the most exciting innovations in the yachting world, with more superyacht owners demanding their vessels leave a smaller carbon footprint.

It is somewhat disputed quite how long hybrid superyachts have been around. Some would argue that Royal Huisman’s Etheral was the first superyacht to pioneer the use of hybrid technology when she launched in 2008. Others would say that hybrid power in fact arrived seven years later in the form of Feadships’s Savannah, featured below.

What can be agreed is that the hybrid superyacht is here to stay, and since both  Etheral  and  Savannah hit the water, numerous luxury shipbuilders have followed suit. But what actually is a hybrid superyacht? Bjorn Moonen of Ghost Yachts offers a straightforward explanation in Superyacht News. He said: “A hybrid yacht is basically a yacht that can be propelled by two different energy sources. Most commonly these are a combination of diesel and electric propulsion systems”.  As in cars, this system is infinitely greener thanks to the reduction in fossil fuel usage.

As well as hybrid power, these forward-thinking owners and their engineering teams often incorporate the very latest green technology into their designs – such as solar power and wastewater recycling system – limiting their impact that one step further. At Elite Traveler we have shortlisted some of the very best hybrid superyachts on the water today.

[See also: Meet the Elite Traveler Eco Superyacht by Heesen]

Amare II can can reach speeds of 17.2 knots / ©Dick Holthuis

Builder: Heesen Year of build: 2020 LOA: 164ft Number of guests: 12 Number of crew: 9

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Delivered in June 2020, Amare II is one of the newest hybrid superyachts to hit the water. Custom built by Dutch shipyard Heesen, her sea trials were completed during the height of lockdown which Heesen described as “challenging” but her delivery date was kept on track so she could enjoy her first summer cruising the Mediterranean in 2020. 

Thanks to her lightweight aluminum Fast Displacement Hull, which was devised by naval architects Van Oossanen and engineered by Heesen’s in-house team of experts , she offers the luxury of silent cruising coupled with frugal fuel consumption. In diesel mode, Amare II can reach speeds of 17.2 knots while in silent mode she can travel at 10.2 knots. 

[See also: Twenty for 20: Innovative Yachts of the 21st Century]  

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Her sleek exterior lines are courtesy of Omega architects who also penned Heesen’s first hybrid superyacht Home. Her interiors are yet to be seen publicly but are said to feature soft pastel tones by Monégasque studio Sabrina Monte-Carlo and fine furnishings by the Italian designer Cristiano Gatto.

Artefact set sail on her maiden voyage in 2020 / ©Francisco Martinez

Builder: Nobiskrug Year of build: 2020 LOA: 262.5ft Number of guests: 12 Number of crew: 24

This hi-tech head-turner built by German shipyard Nobiskrug also took her maiden voyage in 2020. Nobiskrug states that the goal in her design and build   was to demonstrate that “ beautiful man-made objects can complement and celebrate the natural environment with minimal impact.” Have her builders and designers achieved what they set out to?

The facts speak for themselves. Artefact has some of the lowest emissions of any superyacht and is one of the only ones to meet the International Maritime Organization’s Tier III emissions regulations. Utilizing the very latest green technology she features solar panels and a battery storage system that enable the vessel to reduce the use of its combustible engines, as well as a wastewater recycling system and a silent hybrid propulsion system that can hold position without dropping anchor to protect the sensitive seafloor.

It’s not just Artefact’s green credentials  that are changing the game but also her avant-garde exterior design by naval architect Gregory C Marshall. Her multilevel glass wall and quirky curved windows are like nothing ever before her. 

Black Pearl 

Oceanco say that Black Pearl capable of crossing the Atlantic without using any fuel / ©Tom Van Oossanen

Builder: Oceanco Year of build: 2018 LOA: 350ft Number of guests: 12 Number of crew: unknown

Oceanco’s Black Pearl is the world’s largest sailing yacht ( Sailing Yacht A below is larger but is a sail-assisted yacht) and is estimated to have cost in excess of $200m. The distinct vessel has achieved worldwide fame in the yachting world thanks to her innovative design and eco-credentials which have set a new industry standard.

Capable of crossing the Atlantic without using any fuel, Black Pearl is powered by a hybrid propulsion system that Oceanco designed in collaboration with consultancy BMT Nigel Gee. Of course, her other power source comes in the form of her towering 230ft DynaRig carbon masts which were designed by Dykstra Naval Architects and house 31,215 sq ft of sales. Harnessing wind propulsion couldn’t be easier as her sales can be set at the touch of a button in just seven minutes allowing for a much greener mode of travel than your average motor yacht. 

Black Pearl’s interiors remain somewhat of a mystery but according to the Italian design studio Nuvolari Lenard who were responsible, the design embraces Louis XVI style (imagine elaborate wood carvings, opulent fabrics and gold touches) as well as some art deco influences. 

[See also: Step Inside the Black Pearl Yacht]

Bravo Eugenia

Bravo Eugenia uses around 30% less fuel consumption than her competitors / ©Francisco Martinez

Builder: Oceanco Year of build: 2018 LOA: 357ft Number of guests: 14 Number of crew: 30

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ Bravo Eugenia superyacht was the first Oceanco vessel to utilize an innovative LIFE design approach which was created with the input of Lateral Naval Architects. LIFE, which stands for lengthened, innovative, fuel-efficient and eco-friendly, harnesses intelligent naval architecture with these four principles in mind to achieve a harmonious balance between weight, power, technology and luxury living space. 

By boosting Bravo Eugenia’s waterline length, engineers were able to reduce the overall need for propulsion power and could therefore install smaller engines. In fact,   while most similar-sized superyachts would demand a two-level engine room, Bravo Eugenia ’s occupies just one, freeing up over 1,000 sq ft of living space (or more rooms for the vessel’s toy and tender collection). 

The team also refined her hybrid propulsion system to give significantly better fuel efficiency – around 30% less fuel consumption than her competitors.

Home is Heesen’s first hybrid propulsion yacht / ©Jeff Brown

Builder: Heesen Year of build: 2017 LOA: 163.3ft Number of guests: 12 Number of crew: 9

Heesen’s first hybrid superyacht was also the first to benefit from Van Oossanen Naval Architects’ li ghtweight aluminum Fast Displacement Hull. Her innovative eco-credentials and cutting-edge design caused quite the stir in the industry; so much so that Home scooped three awards at the prestigious Monaco Yacht Show in 2017 as well as a World Super Award and a Boat International Design Award in 2018.

Able to seamlessly shift between her diesel engine to electric, Home offers a more efficient voyage with reduced vibration and noise making for a more comfortable cruise. 

Available to charter from Burgess from $245,000 per week , Home’s Cristiano-Gatto-designed interiors are the epitome of relaxed luxury. The outdoors is invited in through floor-to-ceiling glass windows which flood her beach-club-style VIP cabin and living areas with natural light.  

Sailing Yacht A

Sailing Yacht A’s exterior and interior were designed by Philippe Starck / ©I.Puiatti

Builder:  Nobiskrug Year of build: 2017 LOA:  468.5ft Number of guests: 14 Number of crew: 35

At an enormous 468.5ft, Sailing Yacht A is the largest sail-assisted yacht in the world. Her lustrous futuristic exterior perfectly complements the forward-thinking engineering that powers this groundbreaking vessel.  Sporting a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system and advanced navigation technology Sailing Yacht A is reported to have cost in excess of $400 million. 

Her mainmast towers designed by Dykstra Naval Architects – responsible for Black Pearls’ and The Maltese Falcon’s masts – are the largest carbon masts in the world and stand 328ft above the waterline, taller than London’s Big Ben. 

The striking hybrid superyacht’s interior and exterior were designed by the renowned Phillippe Starck and feature near-invisible windows enabling her streamlined appearance. This eight-deck superyacht is said to host a plethora of incredible amenities including a glass observation pod, a helipad, huge swimming pool and a submarine. 

Savannah was built by Dutch shipyard Feadship/ ©Feadship

Builder: Feadship Year of build: 2015 LOA: 273.1 ft  Number of guests: 12 Number of crew: 26

The multi-award-winning Savannah is widely regarded as the world’s first hybrid superyacht. Combining a single diesel engine with a pioneering electro-mechanical propulsion platform and streamlined hull, she is a true innovator. 

Built by Dutch shipyard Feadship, both her metallic exterior and sophisticated interior were designed by Paris-based Cristina Gherardi Design. The main aft deck has the effect of almost emerging from the water’s edge, with steps and platforms leading to a spacious beach club and living area. An outdoor 33ft pool, underwater lounge and a library are just some of the amenities that can be enjoyed onboard by those who wish to charter her, with a week-long charter costing approximately $1.2 million.

[See also: Style and Sustainability: The New Sunreed 80 Eco Catamaran]

Emma Al-Mousawi

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Propulsion Systems for Monohull

The silence of an Oceanvolt electric propulsion is a skipper's dream.  Whether quietly maneuvering through a harbor or motor-sailing on low-wind days to create your own apparent wind, our electric solutions will enhance and extend your sailing enjoyment. 

Oceanvolt offers Hybrid or Electric systems as a power & propulsion option in partnership with many leading monohull boat builders - adding new partners continuously. We also offer repowering solutions for converting away from legacy diesel engines – removing the diesel engine, fuel tanks and exhaust system - cleaning up greasy, smelly engine compartments and freeing up both weight and space below deck.

Oceanvolt systems are scaled and configured to achieve maximum efficiency - taking into consideration boat length, beam and displacement as well as system weight and placement within the boat.  Range, beyond battery capacity, is extended through hydro generation while sailing above 6kn.  This can be complemented with either a portable AC generator or a DC generator (in larger boats or for long distance cruising).

All Oceanvolt systems are engineered to operate at 48 volts for passenger safety and ease of repair. Oceanvolt systems are extremely low maintenance and do not require winterizing (no annual engine maintenance/storage costs).

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Over 100 years after the first (successful) diesel-electric yacht, Southern Wind explain how hybrid marine power is taking a big step forward in a size range that allows better use of industrial developments in other sectors.

What will the next superyacht launched by Southern Wind Shipyard have in common with more than 400 New York City buses? Absolutely nothing, until you look in the engine room where you’ll find the same diesel-electric power and propulsion technology from BAE Systems. The  SW96#04 , due for delivery next summer, is Southern Wind’s first yacht with a hybrid drive, a major milestone for the shipyard. And their next diesel-electric project is already taking shape: the brand new  SW108 Hybrid  which has already been sold for delivery winter 2023. If the current level of interest from clients is sustained, Southern Wind expects to be building up to – two hybrid-powered yachts per year going forward.

It might seem strange to source a hybrid drive from the public transport industry rather than using a system designed from the outset specifically for marine use, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Most if not all of the commercial marine diesel-electric hybrid systems currently on the market are far too big for a 29-metre (96ft) sailing yacht and the leisure marine systems are much too small. The suppliers at both ends of the spectrum don’t see enough demand to upscale or downsize their existing products, so there’s a gap in the middle of the market from around 200 to 400kW (roughly 300 to 500hp). Or rather, there was a gap which BAE Systems has now filled, in partnership with Southern Wind.

There’s also the key issue of reliability. Diesel-electric marine propulsion has been around for more than a century, going all the way back to Jack Delmar-Morgan’s motor yacht Mansura in 1912, but none of the current marine-specific hybrid drives are anywhere near the maturity of BAE Systems’ technology, which has been deployed in more than 14,000 vehicles worldwide over the last 25 years. It’s proven beyond doubt to be extremely reliable with complete dual redundancy built in, and it’s backed up by a global support network of skilled technicians who already have years of repair, maintenance and troubleshooting experience.

BAE Systems’ hybrid expertise goes far beyond buses – it’s also the leading supplier in many aerospace and commercial applications, including ferries and offshore fishing vessels. It’s a smart move for Southern Wind to tap into this huge infrastructure and economy of scale.

What are the benefits of hybrid propulsion? Apart from the fuel economy gain of a system that always runs at peak efficiency – conservatively estimated between five and 30 per cent for a Southern Wind hybrid – and the resulting reduction in carbon footprint, there are four major advantages for a sailing boat and especially for a long-range ocean cruiser that needs to operate in complete autonomy for weeks or months at a time.

First, there’s the ability to regenerate power via the propeller and keep the yacht’s batteries charged for the whole duration of an ocean passage under sail, running the sailing systems and some hotel systems without using any fuel. ‘When you’re crossing the Pacific for example it means that you can arrive with full tanks in a remote area like the Marquesas or Tuamotus and start exploring the small archipelagos immediately, without first having to go and refuel,’ Micheli says.

Second, the hybrid system’s huge battery capacity enables a yacht to operate for periods of time in silent mode with zero emissions, under power and at anchor. There’s no need to run generators overnight in an anchorage, which improves the quality of life for people on other yachts nearby as well as for the owner and guests on board. Silent running also means zero pollution, less disturbance to wildlife and a better experience for guests in wilderness areas and conservation zones.

Third, a hybrid system powered by two relatively small generators instead of one big engine allows a large yacht to circumvent the stringent IMO Tier 3 regulations for all new marine diesel engines with a power output greater than 130kW (174hp). Exclusion zones for noncompliant vessels already exist in the US and are due to be enforced in the North Sea, with other areas expected to follow. The nitrogen oxide (NOx) reduction requirements of Tier 3 are a challenge for yacht builders, Micheli says, because the solutions that have been developed for commercial shipping such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) are impractical for a sailing yacht with a 300-450hp auxiliary engine.

The fourth big benefit of hybrid drives is their longevity. In a conventional installation, a yacht’s gensets are typically replaced (or completely rebuilt) after 20,000 hours and the engine after about 25,000 hours. By contrast, as Southern Wind’s technical manager Yann Dabbadie explains, the BAE Systems HybridGen drive is rated for 52,000 hours of running.

Crews and owners aren’t very comfortable with the technology, Micheli says, because they don’t fully understand it Hybrid drives do require high-voltage power that is potentially lethal but in the Southern Wind/BAE HybridGen setup it’s safely confined to sealed units within the engine room. It doesn’t run all around the boat. ‘The architecture of the system is optimised for safety as well as weight, performance and reliability,’ Dabbadie says. ‘There are no loose terminals and all junction boxes are protected. Even if you accidentally opened a junction box, there is no way you can hurt yourself as the system will cut the high voltage automatically. The system is built to class requirements, it’s installed on ships already and we’re working closely with RINA.’

Another reason for the slow uptake of hybrid drives, especially for racing yachts and high-performance cruisers, is that they usually weigh more and take up more space than a conventional engine – but this one doesn’t. ‘It’s about a ton lighter than any of the other hybrid systems on the market,’ Dabbadie says. ‘The total weight depends on the battery capacity that the owner chooses to have but if you compare like for like it’s not much heavier than a normal diesel installation.’ It also occupies the same amount of space, and fits neatly into the existing engine rooms of most yachts that Southern Wind has built, so it’s a viable retrofit option for many owners.

Yacht owners and crews are also quite often sceptical about the availability of technical support and troubleshooting services when they’re anchored off a remote island or sailing in mid-ocean, thousands of miles from land. Once again Southern Wind has a solution, drawn this time from the offshore power industry. Crews receive training from BAE Systems as part of the yacht’s sea trials and a headset with a camera and virtual reality visor could possibly be supplied for remote assistance. A low-bandwidth satcom link is all that’s needed to provide expert guidance and to troubleshoot any problems remotely. For servicing or maintenance work in far-flung parts of the world, a local technician can be sent from the nearest service centre.

All of this, however, is just one part of a wider drive towards more sustainable yachting at Southern Wind. The efficiency gains of a new, remarkably efficient air conditioning system are expected to be even more significant for a yacht in typical charter usage than the benefits delivered by the HybridGen propulsion system. And that’s just the start of a new direction for this innovative shipyard.

• Hybrid marine power
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Aluminium Hybrid Yacht Series

GreeNaval yachts are a series of zero-emission, electric driven, silent aluminium hybrid yachts that are built from 100% recyclable material.

Created by Naval Yachts Co  GreeNaval yachts offer customers an attractive eco-friendly alternative to diesel cruising.

Currently available in 4 lengths, 40ft , 47ft , 50ft and 60ft

GreeNaval yachts are able to cruise for up to 30 miles each day on one charge.

Customers have a choice of two propulsion systems  that offer a reliable service with almost zero maintenance. Both also offer the benefits of no noise, smell or vibration.

GreeNaval yachts are built at the Naval Yacht Shipyard based in Antalya Free Zone in Turkey.

http://www.navalyachts.com

GreeNaval, Electric Yacht and Hybrid Boat Technology

Cruising with zero fuel consumption, daily 30 nautical miles range.

GreeNaval is a zero emission, electric driven and eco-friendly electric motor yacht brand designed by Naval Yachts . GreeNaval is a silent boat manufactured from 100% recyclable material and propelled with high-tech electric motors. With zero fuel consumption it can cruise up to 30 nautical miles per day.

ZERO EMISSION ZERO FUEL CONSUMPTION

GreeNaval is a zero emmision, eco-friendly electric boat. Engines powered by petroleum derived fuel, which are prefered to be used in yachts, release gases to the environment like NOx, CO, CO2 that damage the nature and human health,  instead of others electric boats are eco-friendly.  GreeNaval, thanks to high-tech electric motors prefered in its drive system, provides daily zero emission cruising comfort over the seas without using petroleum derived fuel. Energy required for the batteries can be obtained from the marina or any power outlet. Energy is also provided from other natural resources with solar panels and wind generator. If you are going for a cruise at the weekend, energy, that you will only be storing from the natural energy resources during the week days, will allow you to spend those two days delightfully.      

SILENT CRUISING

GreeNaval is a silent electric  yacht. Silence is one of the essential basic elements of a comfortable and cosy cruise. On a motor yacht with a regular diesel motor, there is approximately 60-70 dbA sound in the saloon while cruising but with GreeNaval’s electric motor design concept the sound in the saloon is almost not there. Silent operation and zero vibration experience of electric motor is one of the most outstanding features of GreeNaval. Due to high-tech electric motors it owns, GreeNaval provides valuable benefits such as long life, high quality, energy savings, maximum performance compared to the minimum fuel consumption along with low noise and vibration.

Naturally, motor boat owners are exposed to motor sound more than the sailing enthusiasts. After a while, boat motor sound could become disturbing with all the other noises. According to the researches, being exposed to sound levels over 90dB constantly might cause nausea, fatigue, muscle strain, increase in heartrate or blood pressure after some time. Due to electric motor, person sleeping next door wouldn’t wake up if the motor is run during night cruises. Moreover, its maintenance is far more easy compared to other motors. Naval Yacht, devoted itself to excellent products and performance, has produced GreeNaval with a hard-to-attain silent electric motor, achieved by its researches and studies in the field of this industry.

Besides all, as humans we, even though unintentionally, damage the World we live in. GreeNaval is designed to provide a harmless environment for both the World we live in and ourselves.

COMFORTABLE CRUISING No vibration, no noise, wider and higher living areas

GreeNaval offers a comfortable cruising. There is a huge vibration problem that arises from the operating principle of the internal combustion engines. Although it is tried to be reduced by using equipment such as vibration damping pads, getting close to zero can never be achieved.

GreeNaval is one of the most comfortable examples in its class. In GreeNaval battery technology, its battery capacity is developed to provide secure and comfortable cruising unlike the other hybrid models. Thanks to electrical thrust system, there is almost no vibration and sound. Their internal volumes are spacious and ceiling height is 2.05 m. Despite that, due to its special design center of gravity is at the bottom and stability of the boat is at a very good level. It offers the pleasure of being at the sea with the comfort of your own home.

GreeNaval offers a safe cruising . GreeNaval’s upper and lower housings are manufactured from marine aluminium plates by using the latest technology welding methods. Material used is Lloyd certificated and its origin is Europe. Ultrasonic welding controls have been made and approved.

The shell of the hull has been designed as double-walled, in this way even if damage occurs due to possible impacts from the bottom, it does not sink. Double-wall application is mandatory for tankers carrying liquid. This reliance-enhancing construction technique is adapted to the boat.  

Due to a special chemical application exerted onto the aluminum shell, electrolysis reaction will not occur on the boat hull. Any adverse condition such as corrosion, melting and etc. does not generate on the aluminium boat hull.

RECYCLABLE MATERIALS  Aluminum hull and superstructure

GreeNaval is a green yacht, manufactured from recyclable meterials . While designing GreeNaval’s hull and upper housing, durable, lightweight, environmentally friendly, recyclable and health harmless materials were researched. After the performed engineering calculations, it was decided to use marine aluminum that provides a number of different criteria. Usage of marine aluminum 5083 series has become widespread in the last 10 years due to its chemical and mechanical properties. It is foreseen that its usage in many critical industries such as marine, aerospace, automotive, machinery and energy will be much more high in numbers than the present stats.

Current boats can be made from fiberglass (glass fiber) and polyester materials by hand lay-up or injection methods from molds. However, the materials used are neither insoluble in nature nor environmentally friendly. Boats cannot be recycled when they fill their lifetime, they are decomposed or burned. Epoxy composites are also non-recyclable materials as fiberglass, and they are put on the wooden frame with sandwich technique.

It is possible to manufacture boats using steel sheet, but the steel hull weight is almost twice that of aluminum boat weight and consequently it brings fuel consumption as an issue.

When the commercial life of the vessel runs out, recycling of aluminum is possible. Therefore, aluminum is used for it’s a material that is both light, recyclable and have almost a strength value very close to steel.  

MINIMUM MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENT, EASY HANDLING User friendly simplicity in design and mechanics

GreeNaval is a effortless hybrid yacht. When compared to diesel engine electric motor yachts requires very less maintenance. Electric motor yachts, as it’s in its operating principle, is a much more effortless and hassle-free system. It does not require exhaust system, cooling water and fuel system are at their minimum. Undesired conditions such as high vibration and high-volume occurring, and high heat released in diesel engines, that require maintenance and additional system, are not present in the electric motor.

No hydraulic system is ever used in GreeNaval system. All kinds of mechanical and electronic systems is minimized. Maintenance of the system and the equipment is easy and maintenance costs are very low.

In GreeNaval concept, it is intended that owner of Greenaval should be able to cruise without the need of anyone (with captain's license and subject to experience) and be able to intervene all hardware and equipment by him/herself.

EASY DRIVE, MANUAL OPERATION FOR EVERYONE

GreeNaval is suitable for anyone.  GreeNaval is far from systems structured in a complex way and puzzling.

Hydraulic, mechanical and electronic systems are designed in way to be simplest and not to malfunction. Also all parts of the mechanism can be controlled manually. Equipment with easily handled control mechanism is built in, providing maintenance and repairment that everyone can comfortably interfere. Interior space of engine room is large and have high ceiling. Valves, pumps, electrical switches and engine parts are manually accessible and in visible location. In summary GreeNaval does not include complicated and unnecessary details.

EXCELLENT MANEUVERABILITY Electric drive excellence from 0 Speed

  GreeNaval is a enjoyable hybrid yacht. In the current operating principle of diesel engines, thrust power transferred to the vessel acts slowly depending on the duration of the engine gaining its speed. But in GreeNaval’s electric motors thrust power is immediately transferred to the shaft and propeller, and this means more efficient maneuver and easier acceleration / deceleration capability. So electric yachts create an enjoyable driving experience.

Metal Durability, Lightweight, Eco-Friendly and Recyclable Just Aluminum superiority

GreeNaval manufactures it's upper and lower housings from marine aluminium plates. Use of advanced technology in the welding process ensures accuracy & efficiency.An important factor in yacht construction is weight. Aluminium is one of the lightest boat building materials available. A lighter weight increases performance, carrying capacity & reduces fuel costs.Aluminium is twice as strong as steel at the same weight and far stronger than fibreglass. Aluminium's lighter weight makes it easier to handle which reduces build costs.

REDUCED WEIGHT MEANS INCREASED EFFICIENCY We care about environment

Weight  is one of the most important factors of any boat. Aluminum is one of the lightest boat building materials available. A lighter boat increases performance, reduces fuel costs and increases carrying capacity.

Aluminium is not made from renewable resources. Yet, it is easier to recycle than other boat building materials. Recycling of aluminum uses about 90% less energy then raw material production. The scrap material from the building process is often reused and recycled. There is a high trade value on scrap aluminium.

Due to aluminium's lighter hull weight there is a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

The well designed and constructed aluminum boat is virtually free from maintenance. It will not rot, decay, corrode or weaken. It is impervious to chemicals, UV rays and other environmental conditions. An aluminum boat will need antifoul paint and sacrificial anodes as with any other boat left in the water.

GreeNaval preferred high-tech electric motors in propulsion

GreeNaval, thanks to high-tech electric motors that it preferred in propulsion, provides a daily cruise comfort with a zero emission over the sea. Energy required for the batteries can be obtained as well as from the marina or any power outlet and also be provided from other natural resources with solar panels and wind generator.

ELECTRIC MOTORS

All models of GreeNaval include advanced technology, high security and maintenance free electric motors as standard equipment. Electric motors don’t use petroleum fuels and show sensitivity to the environment with zero emissions. Due to its quiet and smooth operation, it offers a pleasant cruise over the seas. The fact that it requires low maintenance and creates effective maneuverability carries this pleasure to higher levels.

Motors that can be chosen according to preferences have voltages of 48V DC or 96V DC.

BATTERY TECHNOLOGY

In GreeNaval battery technology, its battery capacity is developed to provide secure and comfortable cruising unlike the other hybrid models. Top level batteries are used in GreeNaval to give trust to the boat owner. Since battery life is the at the top of the list of the things that boat owners mostly concern, special battery management system is developed to keep the battery life at the highest level. This special battery management system has a capacity of of 3.000 times recharge. If it is calculated to have approximately 200 charges in a year, lifetime of battery group can be calculated as more than 10 years.

The electricity systems of GreeNaval are designed in consideration of the future. Foresights about rapid developing battery technology are that battery prices will be decreasing drastically. And this will offer a cost advantage to the yacht owners in the battery change that will take place many years later, so they will be able to perform the battery change smoothly. 

SOLAR PANEL

There are full and semi flexible solar panels on which natural energy can be cultivated in GreeNaval. These panels can produce energy up to 20kW on a sunny weather. With this solar energy it’s possible to cruise at 5knot speed for 2 hours with zero cost.  

Top 10 Electric Super Yachts

Electric Yachts vessels utilise electric propulsion systems powered by advanced battery technologies, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and minimising environmental impact. EV yachts boast whisper-quiet operation, zero emissions, and enhanced manoeuvrability, providing a serene and eco-conscious cruising experience. As the world increasingly embraces renewable energy solutions, EV yachts emerge as the pinnacle of green luxury, seamlessly blending opulence with environmental responsibility on the open seas.

Amels electric yachts redefine luxury cruising with a sustainable edge. Integrating advanced electric propulsion systems, they prioritise eco-conscious cruising without compromising on opulence. These vessels represent a harmonious blend of innovation and environmental responsibility, offering discerning travellers an unmatched yachting experience on the open seas.

9 | Heesen Yachts

Heesen's electric yachts (EV Yachts) marry luxury with sustainability on the open seas. Equipped with cutting-edge electric propulsion systems, they prioritise eco-friendly cruising without compromising on elegance. These vessels redefine luxury travel, offering discerning travellers an exceptional blend of environmental consciousness and comfort for unforgettable maritime journeys.

8 | Abeking & Rasmussen

Abeking & Rasmussen's electric yachts epitomise luxury and sustainability at sea. Integrating advanced electric propulsion systems, A&R EV Yachts prioritise eco-conscious cruising without compromising opulence. These vessels redefine luxury travel, offering discerning adventurers an unparalleled blend of environmental responsibility and refined comfort for unforgettable maritime experiences.

7 |  Lürssen

Sunseeker's electric yachts combine luxury and sustainability for unparalleled maritime experiences. They offer eco-conscious cruising with advanced electric propulsion systems without compromising opulence. These vessels redefine luxury travel, providing discerning adventurers with a seamless blend of environmental responsibility and refined comfort on the open seas.

6 | Sunseeker

5 | princess yachts.

Princess electric yachts (EV Yachts) epitomise luxury and sustainability on the high seas. With cutting-edge electric propulsion systems, they prioritise eco-conscious cruising without compromising on opulence. These vessels redefine luxury travel, offering discerning travellers an exquisite blend of environmental responsibility and unmatched comfort for unforgettable maritime experiences.

4 |  Oceanco

Oceanco's electric yachts redefine luxury cruising with a sustainable edge. Integrating advanced electric propulsion systems, Oceanco's EV yachts prioritise eco-friendliness and silent operation. With their signature craftsmanship and innovative design, Oceanco EV Yachts offer discerning travellers an unparalleled blend of opulence and environmental responsibility on the open seas.

3 | Feadship

Feadship's electric yachts represent the pinnacle of sustainable luxury at sea. Integrating advanced electric propulsion systems, they prioritise zero emissions and silent cruising. With impeccable craftsmanship and innovative design, Feadship EV Yachts offer an unparalleled blend of opulence and environmental responsibility for discerning travellers.

2  | CRN

CRN electric yachts redefine luxury cruising with a commitment to sustainability and innovation. Incorporating advanced electric propulsion systems and cutting-edge battery technology, CRN's EV yachts offer unparalleled performance and eco-friendliness. These vessels prioritise zero emissions and silent operation, providing an exquisite cruising experience while minimising environmental impact. With meticulous attention to detail and impeccable craftsmanship, CRN EV Yachts exemplify the future of green luxury on the open seas, setting a new standard for responsible maritime travel.

1 | Benetti

Benetti electric yachts epitomise a harmonious blend of luxury and sustainability on the high seas. Benetti's EV yachts offer a revolutionary cruising experience with cutting-edge electric propulsion systems and state-of-the-art battery technology. These vessels prioritise eco-consciousness, boasting zero emissions and whisper-quiet operation while maintaining the exquisite craftsmanship and opulence that Benetti is renowned for. From sleek design to unparalleled comfort, Benetti EV Yachts redefine luxury cruising, setting a new standard for environmentally responsible maritime travel.

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The world’s largest hybrid electric fleet.

Greenline Yachts can collect, store and use electrical energy from the sun, from the shore pick-up or from the main engine driven generator. With a solar array and the Hybrid drive electric unit the yacht is a mobile power station providing a constant supply of AC power (230 or 120 VAC) on board.

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Electric Boats Are Coming Sooner Than You Think

From buenos aires to belfast to bangkok, newly electrified ferries and tour boats (and even a few cruise ships) are changing the way we set sail..

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Commuter routes, cruises, and boat trips at popular spots like Niagara Falls are all being electrified.

Courtesy of Maid of the Mist

As the broader transportation sector looks to meet pressing decarbonization goals via the pursuit of greener alternative energy, the maritime industry has been no exception. And with on-tap battery-electric technology that’s already proven successful on land, a new breed of electric boats and ships is likewise emerging. For travelers, this move to EV technology is of particular interest as the first wave of global commuter ferries and tour boats goes electric in cities like San Francisco, Stockholm, Lisbon, and others.

“I see electrification as being impactful for short routes and smaller vessels,” explains Elise Sturrup, a marine researcher at the nonprofit International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). She notes that smaller “harbor craft”—like ferries, tugs, and other service vessels—which cover shorter spans and regularly frequent ports like New York City or Oslo (affording ongoing access to charging points) are particularly well-suited to the technology. Plus, she says, ship electrification reduces air pollution and its devastating health effects on those living and working in portside communities (an issue that’s been particularly problematic in heavily trafficked ports like Barcelona and Rome ).

Electric motors also reduce pollutants into sensitive waterways and eliminate the risk of oil spills. Plus, they provide a smoother, fume-free, and virtually noise-free ride, which is an upgraded experience for guests and crews aboard. In addition, the quietness is “extremely beneficial for sound-dependent marine fauna like whales,” says Sturrup, of heightened importance in ports serving both whale- and ship-heavy seas, such as in Alaska or New England.

However, larger and heavier mega-cruise ships (as well as freight vessels) that travel longer distances have proven stubbornly difficult to electrify—due largely to the limitations of existing battery technology. “We won’t see cross-ocean ships using pure electrification any time soon,” she says, noting that the high-energy-density battery options needed don’t yet exist. Still, some pioneering cruise ship companies, like Hurtigruten and Ponant, are finding ways to incorporate electric power in a hybrid capacity.

What seems certain is that the market for electric vessels, bolstered by demand from both commercial operators and recreational boaters, is projected for rapid growth. One market research firm found that the electric ship market value will jump by nearly 400 percent in the next 10 years, reaching a valuation of $31.48 billion by 2034 .

“Electrification is essential for transitioning maritime, as well as all transportation,” says Dr. Mark Jacobson, director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program at Stanford University and author of No Miracles Needed: How Today’s Technology Can Save Our Climate and Clean Our Air . “Going forward, this will be the mode of transportation, no doubt,” he says. “Fossil fuels are on their way out.”

Swedish company Candela is bringing its ferries to New Zealand and Berlin.

Courtesy of Candela

Electric ferries and tour boats to watch

Ferries offer the sweet spot for maritime electrification: smaller boats, shorter distances to cover, along with the route regularity needed to accommodate in-port charging. Europe currently dominates the e-ferry landscape, with recently launched or soon-to-launch e-ferries spanning cities from Belfast to Lisbon and beyond. But it’s Scandinavia—which has also been the global leader for adopting electric automobiles—that’s the clear front-runner.

Norway is particularly prolific, with dozens of fully electric ferries in operation, including the sleek 50-passenger “smart city” ferries in the city of Fredrikstad from newcomer Hyke ; the decade-old, 350-passenger innovator, MF Ampere, which services villages along the Sognefjord; and the world’s largest all-electric passenger and car ferry—the 600-passenger Bastø Electric, which makes runs across Norway’s busiest ferry crossing, the Olso fjord.

But perhaps most notable is Swedish company Candela , which debuted its 30-passenger Candela P-12 electric hydrofoil commuter ferry in Stockholm last summer; the company has since inked deals to launch high-speed ferries in New Zealand and Berlin. Billed as the “world’s fastest electric ferries,” the boats can reach speeds of up to 35 mph.

Candela’s spokesperson Mikael Mahlberg explains that challenges have abounded with electrifying passenger vessels because they use up so much energy at high speeds. However, he says Candela’s industry-first electric hydrofoil technology allows the boats to “fly” over the water, reducing drag. “We’re not just replacing inefficient conventional diesel vessels with similarly inefficient but electric vessels,” he says. “We’re actually reinventing ships in the sense that they’re becoming much more sustainable.”

Beyond Europe, a notable e-ferry project is underway for South America: Australian e-ferry manufacturer Incat Tasmania is currently building the world’s largest electric ferry, which will shuttle up to 2,100 passengers across the River Plate (Rio Plato) between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Colonia, Uruguay, as soon as next year. Across Asia, e-ferry fleets are emerging in Thailand and India, while China made international headlines for its 2022 debut of the Three Gorges 1, a fully battery-powered 1,300-passenger sightseeing vessel on the Yangtze River.

Sightseeing vessels and tourist ferries are also converting to electric power closer to home. Niagara Falls’ iconic Maid of the Mist replaced its two old diesel-powered tour boats with two 600-passenger electric vessels in 2020. San Francisco has been a hotbed of transition: Its main Alcatraz Island ferries went electric in 2022; next year, San Francisco Bay WETA plans to launch five battery-powered passenger ferries, when Angel Island Ferry will also transition to electric. Washington State—which operates the nation’s largest ferry system —also plans to convert its fleet to hybrid-electric by decade’s end.

Travelers on Havila ships can experience the Norwegian fjords for up to four hours on battery power alone.

Courtesy of Havila

Hybrid-electric cruise ships

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents more than 95 percent of global cruise ships, reports that over the next five years, more than 15 percent of new cruise ships will be configured for hybrid energy, with either battery or hydrogen fuel cell capabilities. For now, as with ferries, Norway is leading the charge on cruise line experimentation with hybrid-electric power.

Norway-based adventure travel company Hurtigruten—which encompasses Norway coastal cruise line Hurtigruten and cruise expedition brand HX—has been an electric-energy pioneer. HX rolled out the world’s first battery-hybrid-powered ship, the 530-passenger MS Roald Amundsen , in 2019; its sister ship, MS Fridtjof Nansen , followed suit in 2020. Meanwhile, three of the nine 274- to 500-passenger ships in Hurtigruten’s fleet have been retrofitted with battery packs and more efficient engines, resulting in a 25 percent reduction in CO2 emissions. Plus, Hurtigruten is planning to debut a futuristic zero-emissions ship , powered by a combination of battery packs, retractable sails, and solar panels, by 2030.

Norwegian newcomer Havila Voyages, meanwhile, has four 640-guest ships that feature the largest passenger-ship batteries at sea. Itineraries are focused on the Norwegian coastline and the batteries are strong enough to let the ships sail emissions-free for up to four hours. Upscale French line Ponant, meanwhile, launched a hybrid-battery expedition ship, the 245-passenger Le Commandant Charcot , in 2021. It can sail on battery power alone for up to eight hours (the line has plans for a zero-emissions ship to debut by 2030).

Ponant aims to launch a zero-emissions ship by 2030.

Photo by Gilles Trillard

Why electric boats and ships are emerging now

The move to electric isn’t all voluntary: Urgent United Nations’ climate deadlines have been laid out to reach net-zero carbon emissions worldwide by 2050 —just 26 years away—or risk losing access to a “livable climate.” Larger ships have traditionally been reliant on heavily polluting bunker fuel, with shipping and boating behind 2 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions.

In accordance, the International Maritime Organization (the U.N. regulatory arm for maritime transport) has committed to slashing ships’ carbon intensity by 40 percent as soon as 2030—a goal that the CLIA has likewise pledged. Stricter local regulations are also adding pressure: In Norway, greenhouse gas-emitting ships will be banned from its environmentally sensitive World Heritage fjords as of 2026, while local ports, most recently NYC , are moving to mandate that enabled cruise ships plug into shoreside power while in port.

Meanwhile, EV technology—which has seen significant advancements in battery strength, compactness, safety, charge times, and cost-efficiency in recent years—seems well-suited to respond. “It’s a mature technology, and one that is an easier sell for government or investment funding,” says Sturrup. And funding and subsidies for electric propulsion efforts in the maritime sector have indeed increased. In the United States, for instance, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has recently rolled out grants for electric ferry innovations—money that is already trickling into projects in places like NYC, for example, where plans are now underway to fully electrify a city ferry to Governors Island.

The downside of electric boats and ships

However, the technology is not without its environmental caveats. For one, the regional electric grids that serve to recharge the ships while in port need to be generated from renewable energy, like hydropower, solar, or wind, to ensure the desired emissions reductions. And the supply must be sufficient “to ensure you can plug in large ocean-going vessels without burdening the local electricity demand,” Sturrup says.

Then there’s the issue of whether the shore power charging infrastructure is available. For instance, while the CLIA reports that nearly half of its member cruise ships (120 ships total) are equipped to turn off their engines and run on electricity while they’re plugged in at port, a mere 33 ports worldwide are currently equipped to receive them.

For maritime decarbonization to work, “Available capacity and infrastructure are the key,” says Gerry Larsson-Fedde, chief operating officer for Hurtigruten, whose cruise ship fleet has enabled shore-power connectivity fleetwide. He says this has proven a challenge for “companies calling on many ports in different countries.” (Hurtigruten operates mainly in Norway where shore power connections are widely available.)

There’s also a barrier to entry with upfront costs. “For larger ships, it’s a major retrofit,” says Sturrup. “If the ship wasn’t initially designed to be made for battery electric, it would need to go to dry dock and be reconstructed to have electric systems put in, and that can be costly for shipowners.”

There are also concerns about the environmental impacts from the manufacturing and disposal of the batteries. Still, Sturrup says that ICCT research has proven that over “an entire life cycle of a battery, it’s going to be cleaner than an internal combustion engine.”

Ultimately, Hurtigruten’s Larsson-Fedde believes that despite any caveats, the maritime electric revolution is an industry imperative. Converting to clean energy, he says, “is the only right thing to do, and we are confident this will be a ‘license to operate’ in future travel.”

Milestone Year for Wally: Countdown to the Launch of wallywind110 and wallyrocket51

Anticipation is mounting at Wally as the completion of two all-new models, the wallywind110 and the wallyrocket51, approaches. Both models will make their debut this summer, promising to attract attention across the Mediterranean.

The wallywind110 project, which commenced in 2022, is nearing fruition. As part of the Ferretti Group since 2019, Wally has steadily advanced this ambitious venture. The first hull is now in the final outfitting phase, featuring an all-carbon structure formed in a female mould, ensuring minimal finishing. The hull is painted in a light metallic blue that subtly shifts with the light. All fittings and interiors uphold Wally’s high standards.

A key upcoming challenge is the 40km transport to the sea by truck, a process familiar to the Wally team and Forlì residents but requiring meticulous planning to navigate obstacles such as overhanging branches and road signs. Upon arrival at the Marina di Ravenna, the wallywind110 will be equipped with a 6.95m telescopic keel, one-piece carbon fibre twin rudders, and a 48m Hall Spars rig. Following successful shipyard testing of technical systems, the yacht will undergo a series of sea trials. Set for delivery in early June, the wallywind110 is designed to excel both as a global cruiser and a racecourse performer, without compromising on luxury.

One of the wallywind110’s standout features is its expansive cockpit area, offering 80 square metres of space unencumbered by sail controls. Guests can relax on various seating options, including sofas, sunbeds, and loungers. Additional lounging areas are available around the “terrace on the sea” and on the foredeck. A second hull is currently in production.

In parallel, the wallyrocket51, designed for high-performance racing, is taking shape in a dedicated shipyard. Despite its smaller size, this vessel is engineered to excel in the racing world, potentially outperforming the TP52. Wally aims to create the fastest race boat on corrected time, leveraging a Botin Partners Naval Architecture hull and precise in-house engineering.

The lamination of the wallyrocket51 ‘s hull began in March, with completion expected in May. The project involved extensive planning by Wally’s technical department, ensuring that every component could be produced consistently, adhering to the one-design racing principle. Weight management is critical, with every design decision and component evaluated for its impact. Collaborations with Harken, Cariboni, and Diverse have optimized deck gear, hydraulic systems, and the water ballast system, respectively. The sails are being developed by North Sails, while Southern Spars is supplying the rigs. The hull’s colour remains undecided, but the distinctive Wally stripes and coveline will feature prominently, aiding recognition on the racecourse and in the harbour.

“The year 2024 is going to be massive for Wally’s sailing history, as we launch our 49 th  maxi sailing yacht,”  said Wally Managing Director Stefano de Vivo.  “We’re intensely busy finishing these two very different yachts and starting to build additional hulls of both. The wallywind110 is destined to deliver fast, ambitious cruising wherever in the world her owner wants to take her, while the wallyrocket51 is an all-out racing machine that will revolutionise regattas for passionate owners. What they both share, however, is Wally’s total commitment to innovative solutions, jaw-droppingly attractive looks and a quality that is unmatched. This is our DNA – what Wally has always been about.”

Wally Founder and Chief Designer Luca Bassani said:  “We are excited to launch two new sailing models during Wally’s 30 th  anniversary year. These yachts represent the two extremes of the sailing experience: cruising and racing. Wally has always been able to address both markets by applying the performance principle to every new yacht. Wherever you turn the dial between cruising and racing, a Wally yacht will always be fast and innovative. That is why the brand remains a beacon of light for passionate sailors.”

March 9, 2023

Wally announces the sale of the first hull of the new wallywind110.

Wally is proud to announce the sale of the first hull of the new wallywind110 sailing yacht to a passionate loyal client, member of the Wally family for a long time.

“Wally’s sailing heritage is legendary, and under Ferretti Group, the brand is redoubling its efforts on the sail side. With the sale of this new carbon fiber sailing superyacht, Wally continues its remarkable contribution to the advancement of sailing design and technology,”  states  Stefano de Vivo, Wally Managing Director.  “When a client comes to Wally, they know they can expect the very highest standards and we are extremely proud for the confidence this experienced and selective owner is giving us once again. The wallywind110 is the head-turning exception in a crowded field of sailing yachts and I am sure it will impress the audience when it will be sailing in the Mediterranean Sea in summer 2024.”

“Wally owners are like family to us and it makes me extremely proud knowing that they continue to choose us to build their dreams on the water. From the very beginning we have been able to listen to their wishes and transform them into unique characteristics of their yachts, always managing to even exceed their expectations thanks to Wally’s experience and know-how.”  Adds  Luca Bassani, Wally Founder and Chief Designer.

Displaying all the hallmarks of Wally’s timeless style, the wallywind110 is safe and comfortable, yet boasts a high performing pedigree. The project once again unites judel/vrolijk & co naval architecture with interior and exterior lines penned by Wally team and Santa Maria Magnolfi design firm. This collaboration created a yacht showcasing Wally’s characteristics of simplicity and elegance, while offering beguiling pace and stability.

The wallywind110 is a true hybrid offering the volumes and comforts of a deckhouse yacht, but with a flush-deck that features the spirit and the performance of a racing boat. 

The raised saloon configuration and terrace-on-the-sea concept maximise elegant living space, while the seductive lines will deliver fast, comfortable passages and a turn of speed around the buoys.

The huge 80sqm cockpit is on a single level and fills the full beam of the boat, this alone features the same volume that can be found on board the most innovative 150 feet sailing yachts. 

Layout is completely customisable, with seating and dining for up to 15 people. 

The story continues below. With the engine room tucked away below the saloon, the stage is set for a huge open-plan space that combines dining, lounging and even working in style. A skylight runs the full length of the low-profile coachroof, while coachroof windows and hull windows turn this into a sun-soaked living area.

Spirit Yachts Announces New Contemporary Q Class Yacht Project

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Hybrid Superyachts

Explore the Newest Hybrid Yachts on the Market

FGI is yachting with a difference.

Welcome to an entirely bespoke yacht sales and charter experience, where you are looked after by the most knowledgeable and experienced brokers in the world. We believe in making the process of buying, selling, building, or chartering a yacht completely seamless and easy for our clients. This is yachting with a difference.

Cruising while conserving our oceans

As the largest ecosystem on Earth and the planet’s life support system, the ocean is vital to our survival. Vast, beautiful, and mostly unexplored, the superyacht industry is built upon the splendors of ocean living. With the threat of climate change looming ever closer, the industry is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of protecting these waters. Ocean conservation is becoming a central part of cruising, and what better way to do that than by using a hybrid system on your superyacht?

The advantages and benefits of using an e-Motion hybrid system are ample. Not only does using a hybrid system drastically reduce your vessels annual CO2 emissions, but it also improves the quality of life on board.

By switching between electric batteries and diesel generators, the yacht’s energy distribution can be fully optimized, reducing fuel consumption. For example, fuel consumption is reduced up to 30 percent when in Economy Navigation Mode. At the same time, e-Motion hybrid systems also reduce the environmental exhaust and water pollution emitted by motor yachts. Cleaner and safer waters will help ensure the survival of the oceans while making cruising more enjoyable. Motor yachts become as silent as sailboats while cruising in diesel-electric and zero-emission mode, making it possible to depart to your destination silently without waking any guests.

By switching it to zero-emissions mode, one can swim in the waters behind any motor yacht without fear of noxious fumes and noises from the generators while enjoying the peaceful sounds of the ocean. Once moored, it is also possible to switch off generators and run on battery power in a noise-free environment. Fast battery charging means that each battery reaches a 90% charge in only 35 minutes or less, making them ideal for using when moored. So why not help conserve our oceans while cruising by switching over to a hybrid system?

The eco-friendly superyachts are quite rare on that market. If you are not looking to compromise building a new yacht while incorporating hybrid systems, solar panels and waste management solutions will be the best fit for you.

Find a Brokerage Yacht

There are various options on the brokerage market of production yachts featuring solar panels up to 115′. With brands such as Arcadia, Silent, & Serenity pushing the boundaries in environmentally friendly yachts.

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Electric Yachts

Solar electric boats.

• Sunreef Yachts

Sustainability at sea: Sunreef is integrating recycled plastic bottles into solar electric yachts

Sunreef Yachts is already a solar electric boatbuilder recognized for its sustainability efforts in the maritime industry but is now taking things a step greener. The company is now integrating recycled PET bottles into its solar electric yacht production process.

Sunreef Yachts  has been operating out of Gdansk, Poland, for over 20 years alongside a newer footprint established in the United Arab Emirates. From day one in 2002, Sunreef has been pushing the boundaries of sustainable marine travel, launching the world’s first 74-foot luxury oceangoing catamaran with a flybridge.

Sunreef Yachts currently has hundreds of its boats sailing waters across the globe, showcasing the company’s lineup of sustainable, all-electric propulsion and advanced solar panels. Its current portfolio consists of eco-friendly sailboats and  massive solar electric catamarans  ranging from 60 to 100 meters in length.

In April 2024, Sunreef introduced a new 40m electric yacht called the Eco Explorer . One month later, Sunreef shared a new sustainability strategy that will integrate hundreds of thousands of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into the superstructures of its electric yachts.

Sunreef’s electric yacht reuses 600k recycled PET bottles

As part of a new initiative to maximize energy efficiency and, above all else, sustainability, Sunreef Yachts Eco’s R&D team will integrate a structural foam composed of up to 100% recycled PET materials into the production of its solar electric yachts and sailing catamarans.

By integrating this recycled material, Sunreef can achieve even more eco-conscious electric yacht construction practices while furthering sustainability in a maritime segment that quickly embraces electrification .

In addition to being 100% recyclable, Sunreef shared that the recycled thermoplastic core offers additional benefits in electric yachts and catamarans, such as high resistance to process temperatures, exceptional chemical resistance, strong adhesion, and other mechanical properties.

For added perspective on the impact the recycled material can have on the industry, Sunreef said one of its 80-foot sailing catamaran requires about 2.4 tons of the structural foam, equating to approximately 600,000 recycled PET bottles finding a second life at sea within the superstructure rather than floating around as pollution.

This is the kind of news we love sharing with you readers and provides further evidence that large boats can not only be 100% electric but may soon be 100% recyclable.

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Scooter Doll is a writer, designer and tech enthusiast born in Chicago and based on the West Coast. When he’s not offering the latest tech how tos or insights, he’s probably watching Chicago sports. Please send any tips or suggestions, or dog photos to him at [email protected]

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2025 Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid First Drive Review: Part electric, part gas, part boat

S TUTTGART, Germany – Cars with different drive modes are commonplace. Even a humble Kia has a Sport button that tightens up the steering a smidge and makes the throttle more responsive. Two cars in one they do not make, however. The 2024 Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid, on the other hand, comes awfully close to pulling off the trick. Not by futzing with the steering effort – that remains resolutely constant, per Porsche ’s wise tradition – but by boasting the powertrains of an EV and gas-powered engine. Of course, plug-in hybrids are commonplace themselves, but this one distinguishes itself with a gasoline engine that’s characterful, accompanied by a saucy exhaust note and coupled to a transmission that snaps off shifts like a Porsche, rather than stirring through ratios like a Prius Prime . It’ll be silent and sophisticated when you need it – to work, to dinner and when stuck in traffic. But with the turn of the drive mode dial, it’ll come alive with the sort of sounds and feelings that make even the most EV-angelized car enthusiast take pause for what may be lost.

It can also make you feel like you’re piloting a boat. Or possibly something on a different planet where physics behaves just a bit differently. Plant the throttle and the nose plants along with it, like you’ve ignored a sign reading “Caution: Boat Launch.” Hit the brakes , and the nose comes up like a Jet Ski cutting its motor and rising as it slows into the water ahead. It can feel like you’re submarining in a totally un-nautical way, as if your actual body is sinking in your seat and being pulled under the steering wheel. In instances of lighter braking, it can feel like the back of the car is gently being pressed down into the road, almost like a rollerblade brake. Or an airplane pitching up for landing.

Wait, what’s going on? Exactly, things just got weird. And “weird” is the perfect word for the Active Ride suspension that’s optional on the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid and more powerful Panamera 4S E-Hybrid, even if the technology is wildly fascinating. In place of passive shock absorbers, Active Ride utilizes electrically powered hydraulic motor/pumps at each two-valve damper to independently control compression and rebound or, if you prefer, to raise or lower their entire corner of the suspension.

This takes adaptability to a new level, allowing the car to maximize handling and ride comfort like never before ­– it also eliminates the need for anti-roll bars since each damper reduces or eliminates roll independently. There are air springs (the standard setup is still an advanced adaptive air suspension itself), but they’re really only there to support the weight of the car when it’s off.  

For all intents and purposes, Active Ride achieves the same result as various adaptive air suspensions: It gets firmer for tauter handling, softer for a more comfortable ride and adjusts the ride height for a lower stance that benefits aerodynamics as well as handling. It just goes further than that, and all you have to do is open the door to realize it. The car pops up several inches, and yes, “pops” is the best word to describe the very quick, smooth action. After a day getting in and out of the Panamera, the trick never stopped being funny – you’re just not expecting a car to behave like that. You’re also not used to that much gap between the tire and wheel arch of a Porsche, be it a car or SUV. Even the Dakar looks like a GT3 compared to what I dubbed Panamera Wilderness mode. Sadly, you can’t drive around like that because I guess no one at Porsche appreciates that type of humor. Hopefully your passengers will appreciate the easier entry and exit into the Panamera’s deeply slung seats.

But what about all those body motions that require comparisons to various conveyances other than automobiles? The system is designed to counteract body roll and keep the car perfectly level through corners, which it most certainly does. This brand of physics-defying wizardry isn’t strictly new, however, even if the method and degree of proficiency are. It also doesn’t screw with your equilibrium as much as the pitch-mitigation functionality that’s added only when in Normal suspension mode (automatically selected in all-electric E-Power and Hybrid Auto modes; driver-selectable in Sport and Sport Plus). Maybe it’s just that while cornering, your eyes are too distracted by the typical effects of lateral inertia, but either way, there’s no missing the front suspension lowering when accelerating and raising during braking – and most noticeably resetting back to normal thereafter. It gives a whole new meaning to the automotive dynamic description of “nautical.” It’s a fascinating if potentially nauseating feeling, and maybe you’d get used to it, but honestly, why bother? It’s hard to imagine the stock air suspension not being sufficiently stellar.

Leaving Active Ride in Sport turns off the high-seas trickery, and although Germany’s chef’s-kiss pavement will always make it a little tough to determine ride quality, it seems perfectly livable. Associate Editor Byron Hurd concurred, reporting that the Active Ride-equipped non-hybrid Panamera was “quite tolerable” on Seville ’s “asphalt seemingly held together by the still-whole bones of dead crusaders.” Sounds like it should be good in Michigan and California, then. Plus, with Sport selected, it makes it a lot easier to zero in on the Panamera’s improved plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The new 25.9-kilowatt-hour battery pack has 45% more capacity than before, yet doesn’t take up any more space in the body. A new 11-kW onboard charger allows for more rapid at-home charging (as little as 2.5 hours), but the car itself can recharge the battery on the fly up to 80%. How far is that all-electric range? It should be better than the previous E-Hybrid’s meager 19 miles, but official figures are not yet available. We also got into the car when it was less than fully charged, and with all the Autobahn and mountain road driving, nothing we can report would be applicable.

Both the 4 and 4S E-Hybrids feature an upgraded 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, which produces 300 horsepower and 309 pound-feet of torque in the 4 E-Hybrid, and 348 hp and 368 lb-ft in the 4S E-Hybrid. They then share a new, more powerful electric motor (up to 187 hp and 331 lb-ft from 134/295), but due to the too-complicated-to-explain-here vagaries of PHEV’s overall power outputs, the 4S E-Hybrid is considerably more powerful than its gas engine specs would indicate. The 4 E-Hybrid is good for a total system output of 463 hp and 479 lb-ft, and hits 60 mph in 3.9 seconds; the 4S E-Hybrid is good for 536 hp, 553 lb-ft and a 3.5-second sprint. Those sprint times represent a 0.3-second pickup for the E-Hybrid and 0.4 seconds for the 4S E-Hybrid.

Although a firm, right-pedal thwack will summon the V6 in from the bullpen to lend a hand when in the all-electric E-Power mode, it was a rarity during our drive around Porsche’s home turf near Stuttgart. With either version, there’s more than enough oomph on tap from the motor to keep the car moving with vigor on the Autobahn and a mountain road alike. And thanks to its electric motor being integrated into the PDK, there are still snappy shifts along the way to make things feel normal. Now, this isn’t the only PHEV to have a traditional automatic (Hyundais, Kias and several others have them), but this is the perfect example of why Hyundai’s not so nuts for making the all-electric Ioniq 5 N simulate shifts. It just feels right in a performance setting. When the engine does pop on, such as when the TBA miles of all-electric range is depleted and the E-Hybrid mode is automatically selected, the sound of the engine is actually surprising and honestly a bit off-putting. It’s easy to forget you’re not in a plush, pure EV luxury car .

Put the car into Sport or Sport Plus, however, and the engine fires to life with the sonic accompaniment of the Sport exhaust mode. Now lay into the throttle and you’ll forget you’re not in any other internal combustion Panamera. In Sport, the PDK snaps off shifts; in Sport Plus, it can occasionally bang between them like a muscular arm slotting it into gear. The noise isn’t the ear-splitting flat-six fury of a Spyder RS , but it’s bound to make you happy. So will the talkative steering that feels delicate in your grip, and the confident road-holding made possible by Active Ride and available rear-wheel steering (a much easier-to-recommend feature). The Panamera has never been bigger or heavier, but it also has never felt so small from behind the wheel.

From the back seat, the Panamera may occasionally feel nautical in body motions, but no one will confuse the accommodations as belonging to a yacht. It’s tight back there for a pricey luxury sedan , and with the low-slung seat and high beltline, you can feel a bit below deck. It can, however, be equipped with power-adjustable seats that offer recline and, uniquely, thigh support extensions. In the back seat! The chairs up front offer more adjustability, of course, and are particularly friendly to those longer of limb. Our test cars were also spec’d with an oh-so-cool “Pepita” houndstooth fabric that’s 100 times cooler (in style) than any draping of cow. Porsche has also figured out how to keep you cooler (in temperature) by making seat ventilation work with fabric upholstery. Although as a porous material, perhaps it always was and Porsche is the first to try it?

Other interior updates for the E-Hybrids are shared with other members of this next-generation Panamera lineup. The all-digital instruments offer several different looks, but the wheel controls that select them and the information they display are insufficient and confusing, especially as the wheel controls also operate the head-up display. The new 12.3-inch touchscreen is more universally appreciated – it looks good and it’s easy to use thanks to permanently docked menu shortcuts. The navigation system guided me flawlessly through the unfamiliar and at times confusing roadscape of a foreign land. There’s also a passenger screen available, but it really just seems like showing off rather than providing any actual benefit.

The last Panamera’s center console featured a shift lever flanked by haptic-touch buttons for performance functions, infotainment shortcuts and climate controls. They’ve mostly been liquidated in favor of a cleaner look on top and a hidden wireless phone charger below. Those performance functions are now within the touchscreen, including the suspension and exhaust setting overrides that pop up on screen and linger just long enough when you turn the wheel-mounted mode selector. The climate controls are reorganized into the same panel first seen in the revised Cayenne that works well enough, but don’t provide the same satisfaction as Porsche’s old, delightfully clicky buttons. The Panamera sadly retains the touchscreen-operated air vents that happily failed to catch on in subsequent Porsches . The shifter is now the same up-down jumbo toggle found in the Cayenne and Taycan ; the vehicle starter is now a button, but remains on the left side of the wheel.

No switch is more important than that little, still delightfully clicky knob on the steering wheel that goes through the Panamera E-Hybrid ’s multiple personalities. Having not driven a 2024 Panamera without Active Drive, I can’t comment on the difference it makes in Sport mode – for better or for worse – but I just can’t see paying $7,150 for its bizarre behavior in Normal mode. It makes for an intriguing and at times mind-bending drive, but beneficial? The plug-in hybrid powertrain is, however.

Now, prices start at $117,495 for the 4 E-Hybrid and $128,795 for the 4S E-Hybrid, including destination, which is surprisingly a lot more than a 2025 Taycan. Pricing for the more comparably powered Taycan 4S has yet to be announced, but there’s a decent chance it’ll be at least on par. That shouldn’t do much to change the Taycan routinely outselling the Panamera, sometimes doubling it. Still, the Panamera has more interior space and can be quickly refilled with 91 at any old gas station during a road trip . Meanwhile, its all-electric capability and increased range mean it’s just as capable of silently, luxuriously and eco-mindedly wafting along on shorter trips without spewing CO2 … at least until you turn the dial and turn Herr Doctor into Mr. Hyde. It’s really that duality that makes the Panamera E-Hybrid such a special car, even if it occasionally feels like you’re yachting on Titan .  

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2025 Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid First Drive Review: Part electric, part gas, part boat originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 May 2024 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

• A U.S. Air Force gunship sank a simulated fishing boat during Exercise Balikatan 2024.
• The exercise took place in the Philippines, where China is using paramilitary fishing boats to force its territorial claims.
• The destruction was part of a SINKEX that saw the AC-130 train its guns on the target ship.

A U.S. Air Force gunship shredded a fishing boat as part of joint exercises between the United States and the Philippines. While sinking a simulated civilian vessel seems in poor taste, China is using ships just like it—which have been known to carry weapons—to bully other countries. The exercise was a clear sign to the Chinese government that aggression, even by innocent-looking fishing boats, would be repelled in all forms.

“Shoulder to Shoulder”

The exercises, known as Balikatan (“Shoulder to Shoulder” in the Filipino national language, Tagalog) have run from April 22 until today, May 8, and take place in the Philippines. The exercise, known as Balikatan 2024, is meant to reinforce defense cooperation between the two countries, but also includes participating contingents from the Australian Defence Forces and the French Navy.

Ghostrider SINKEX

Among the many events in the annual exercise was the participation of an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship from the 27th Special Operations Wing, based at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The AC-130J, based on the C-130J Super Hercules, is the latest in a long line of transport aircraft converted into gunships that goes as far back as the Vietnam War.

The Air Force operates 37 of them at this time, each armed with a 30-milimeter side-firing chain gun and a direct-fire, 105mm howitzer. The gunship can also attack enemy forces with the Griffin air-to-ground missile, launched from tubes in the side of the aircraft.

The result is a versatile platform that can attack targets in direct-fire mode, loitering over the battlefield and raining shells down on enemy positions, typically in support of conventional or special operations forces. The platform’s vulnerability to guns and missiles, however, restricts it to operating in “permissive” airspace, or airspace without advanced enemy air defenses. Even against lightly armed adversaries, it typically operates at 10,000 feet or higher, staying out of range of short-range, shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles.

Unlike previous generations of gunships, the Ghostriders can still engage enemy forces from a distance. New to the Air Force’s gunships are wing-mounted pylons capable of carrying air-to-ground munitions, including Hellfire missiles and GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs). SDBs, launched from high altitude and then gliding toward their target with the help of GPS and small, pop-out wings, can strike targets up to 40 miles away.

Maritime Militia

In this month’s exercise, an unused fishing boat was procured by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and parked off the coast of Lubang Island, on the western edge of the Philippine archipelago. In what is called a SINKEX, or “Sinking Exercise,” an AC-130J circled above it, firing down into the ship and quickly sinking it.

Most of the hits appeared to come from the gunship’s GAU-23/A 30mm chain gun, although one towering explosion and shower of water, at the 10-second mark, appeared to come from a 105mm howitzer. The hull of the ship quickly disappears beneath the waves, leaving only the twin masts above the surface.

The destruction of a fishing boat, ostensibly a strictly civilian vessel, was not an exercise in bad judgment, but a pointed demonstration to the Chinese government.

In the 2010s, China began asserting its claim to the so-called “Nine Dash Line,” a line consisting of nine dashes that demarcated its territorial claims in the South China Sea. That wasn’t all that unusual, but the scope of the claims, including virtually 90 percent of the sea, was more atypical. The territorial claim also ignored competing claims from China’s neighbors, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei.

China’s claim in the South China Sea is so expansive it reaches more than 500 miles from the Chinese mainland to within 50 miles of the Philippines. The Philippines disputes this, and ships of the two countries have repeatedly faced off in the sea. Chinese Coast Guard ships have aggressively used water cannons and ramming tactics against otherwise peaceful Filipino ships, breaking windows and injuring crew members .

One tool used by China in the disputes is the so-called “maritime militia,” or China’s extremely large commercial fishing fleet. Under China’s militia system, fishing boats in private hands can be called upon to undertake paramilitary missions, including surveillance and intelligence gathering missions. They are also used to outnumber and intimidate ships from opposing countries, and have been used against ships of the Philippines.

According to the Center for Naval Analyses , the ships also receive training in direct action missions, including “anti-air missile defense, light weapons use, and sabotage operations.” All of this makes them a deniable asset for the Chinese government, one that can carry out violence, intimidation, and other unneighborly acts at sea without being an official part of government.

The use of a fishing boat as a target was not ill-conceived, or the result of getting the cheapest floating piece of scrap possible to act as a target. It was deliberate, and sends a message to China that the fishing boats of the Maritime Militia won’t be spared if they are used for violent action simply because they’re civilian hulls. If they carry weapons into combat and act as naval auxiliaries, they’re fair game.

As a large, slow-moving, converted transport aircraft, the AC-130J’s usefulness in a major conflict has been called into question. The gunship may not have a chance against a Chinese carrier battle group, or an island-based, surface-to-air missile system. But if any aircraft has the patience to loiter for hours over a fleet of fishing boats, and then pick the armed ships and engage them with precision fire, it’s the Ghostrider.

The Maritime Militia may have met its match.

Kyle Mizokami is a writer on defense and security issues and has been at Popular Mechanics since 2015. If it involves explosions or projectiles, he's generally in favor of it. Kyle’s articles have appeared at The Daily Beast, U.S. Naval Institute News, The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, Combat Aircraft Monthly, VICE News , and others. He lives in San Francisco.

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