Optima Projects, a specialist engineering and design consultancy in the UK, has developed a new range of cruising boats powered by electric propulsion for RCD Cat B, Offshore rating. Optima’s first 11m boat can be equipped with two double cabins, has extensive galley and social spaces and room for eight to eat around a large cockpit table. The new design is planned for build in the UK later this year, with further models already scheduled.
Month: May 2021
Frauscher unveils new electric boat
Austria-based boatbuilder, Frauscher Bootswerft GmbH & Co KG, has launched the TimeSquare 20 – a new electric boat which is described by the company as “another milestone in their long history of innovation”. The TimeSquare 20 is a twin-hulled electric boat which Frauscher states is in line with the company’s philosophy of “engineers of emotions”. The model includes a number of innovative features and has a very distinctive design.
US Senator proposes incentives for electric boats
A US Senator from the state of Washington is proposing new tax incentives to accelerate the manufacturing and adoption of all types of electrified transportation modes ranging from recreational boats to industrial equipment. The Fueling America’s Security and Transportation with Electricity Act of 2021 (FAST Electricity Act) would establish a 30% investment tax credit for any electrically propelled vehicle that is not an on-road passenger car or truck as well as for electrical recharging or hydrogen refueling infrastructure, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Senator Maria Cantwell.
Taking the Electric Avenue
For cruisers and passagemakers, powering a dinghy with a conventional gas-powered micro-outboard can be problematic. The larger vessels’ primary power source is often diesel, requiring owners to stow jerricans of gasoline that, in some cases, violate insurance restrictions. And to prevent theft, taking off and putting on gas-powered engines can be awkward and time-consuming.
First Silent 60 solar electric cat with kite wing launched
Silent-Yachts launched its new Silent 60 solar electric catamaran at its production facility in Thailand recently. This was the first unit of the model, with eight more hulls currently under construction and 17 ordered in total.
Dometic expands in solar power solutions
Sweden’s Dometic Group has acquired an Australian provider of mobile power products serving Marine, RV and other industries. The consolidation drive in the equipment sector continues with today’s announcement from the Dometic Group today that it is acquiring Enerdrive a mobile power products – including solar power solutions, batteries and battery chargers – for the outdoor market, with customers across Marine, Recreational Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle industries.
Southern Wind confirms new ‘smart custom’ hybrid project
Southern Wind has announced a diesel-electric hybrid version of its new generation smart custom sailing yacht. The SW108 Hybrid project involving Nauta Design and Farr Yacht Design features a diesel electric hybrid propulsion system that combines two generators with a high voltage battery bank and electric propulsion motor.
Volvo Penta | Easy Street
Volvo Penta sees its Easy Boating initiative, in combination with its focus on sustainability, as an unbeatable platform for converting today’s first-time buyers into life-long customers. While it seems like every inboard engine manufacturer is working harder than ever these days and pushing the boundaries of what they do, perhaps none have been more energetic about it than Volvo Penta.
New Finnish handcrafted electric wooden boat: Elwood
With its distinctive lines and details, this ultra quiet electric wooden boat from Finnish builder Elwood with propulsion by Oceanvolt is designed to bring its owners closer to nature and provide years of service and delight. Entrepreneur Pasi Virnes, the CEO and Design Director of Elwood, has a background in mechanical engineering and started work in earnest on the Elwood about a year ago, with a vision of a boat with the feel and ‘soul’ of traditional wood construction, able to glide through the waters without disturbing the environment or its inhabitants.
Biofuels Claim Biggest Greenhouse Gas Cut in California
Biofuels for combustion engines are being credited for the bulk of the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in California. Data from the California Air Resources Board suggests biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel are the biggest carbon cutting technologies from the transportation sector, edging out ethanol and exceeding the benefits of electrified cars, trucks and buses by a factor of three-to-one, claims diesel technology lobby group the Diesel Technology Forum. The data also indicates that the availability of low carbon biobased diesel fuel is expanding growing from about 16M gallons in 2011 to nearly 1Bn gallons in 2020.
