Electric cars are either large and expensive or small and designed for short journeys. The former are bought by people who see e-mobility as a status symbol and for whom zero local emissions are important. The price plays less of a role here. The latter are purchased because it simply makes sense to drive electrically over short distances. Thanks to the short range required, the batteries can be correspondingly smaller. This makes the vehicles reasonably affordable.
It's the same with boats. E-drives first became established for smaller yachts. Daysailers that only need to be pushed out of the harbour or even moored at a buoy do not need a huge range. This means that an electric drive can be fitted on board for only a small extra charge.
E-motors are also coming to large yachts
The other side of the coin is large, expensive yachts. Here too, alternative propulsion concepts are gaining ground. Catamarans seem particularly suitable for this because, when they do sail, they often do so faster than monohulls. They can also be recharged more easily using recuperation. They also have two drives, which means twice the charging power. And: Catamarans are expensive. An extra 100,000 euros for an electric drive is less significant. The same applies, for example, to a Contest 49, which also has an optional hybrid drive with an electric motor. For a yacht costing 1.6 million euros, the extra cost is bearable for many owners.
The Swedes from Arcona Yachts also offer fully electric drives. The same applies here: the boats are in the upper price segment and customers are ready for them. And Arcona is going one step further: the new 415 is the first production yacht of its size to be delivered with an electric drive from Oceanvolt as standard. The diesel is an option.
X-Yachts hasn't got that far yet. Nevertheless, the X 4.9 also comes with a drive system from the Finnish experts at Oceanvolt on request and, like the Arcona, has optimised recuperation, which makes perfect sense for a boat with the speed potential of the Scandinavian.
The XC 47 is also offered with a 30 kW drive from Oceanvolt in conjunction with an 11 kW generator, which increases the purely electric range of the 46.4 kWh battery. Once again, the surcharge plays a subordinate role for the already high-priced vessels. Noise and maintenance-free operation and the prestige of an electric drive take centre stage.
Large-scale production also offers electric motors
Until now, the situation has been different for boats from large-scale production. Hanseyachts was the first major manufacturer to take the plunge and offer the 315 with an electric drive. It was integrated into the rudder and therefore a little odd. Was that the reason why only a handful were sold? Perhaps.
The range of around 40 nautical miles at four knots was fine. Such boats are built for price-sensitive owners and even more price-sensitive charter fleet operators. Their customers are only prepared to pay more for a week on board to a limited extent if the boats have an electric motor.
Nevertheless, Hanseyachts has also announced a revolutionary e-drive for the new 410. The company has not yet said exactly what this means. The 410 will be unveiled in late summer this year. However, the electric drive option in such a high-volume model is worth mentioning.
Bavaria is also thinking about e-drives. "However, there are currently no concrete projects or boats in the pipeline," says Marcus Schlichting, the shipyard's press spokesman.
Wide range of models with electric drive in France
Beneteau is different: "The 30.1, 34.1 and 37.1 will be available with an electric drive option from Torqeedo," says Valentin Moreau, responsible for sailing yachts at the French company. "The surcharge is around five to six per cent over diesel, but then only with a fully electric range of around two hours when cruising. More self-sufficiency also costs more, but is possible," says Moreau.
There will also be a hybrid drive for the First 44, which is currently being tested. When asked why the shipyard is late to jump on the bandwagon, Moreau explains: "We are not a craft business. If we offer a solution, it has to work. Sometimes that takes a while. Now we have a good partner in Torqeedo."
The Dufour model range is also being converted to electric drives as an option. "We want maximum flexibility in the designs. Due to supply chain problems after Corona, we have now designed the new models in such a way that it doesn't matter whether a green or grey diesel is installed or whether it is an electric motor. So that will be an option for all new models," says Sales Manager Nicolas Béranger.
No subsidies for e-drives
So something is happening in the field of e-drives, even in large-scale production. Of course, the supply side is only part of the story. When asked about the biggest obstacle to the further development of e-motors at the moment, Marcel Schwarzenberg-Unruh from Fischer Panda replies: "It's the onshore infrastructure. We don't need to talk about fast charging, but you can't even find 16 amps at every harbour socket. That's difficult if you have to charge with 1,000 watts. Norway has just announced that it wants to build 400 fast-charging stations on the waterfront. We're still a long way from that."
If you look at the automotive sector, subsidies have paved the way for the continued and sustained spread of electric cars. This will not happen for boats. Imagine the discussion if leisure yachts were subsidised at state expense.
However, it remains to be seen whether the manufacturers' initiatives will be recognised and customers will order electric drives. The advantages beyond any ideology are obvious: quiet, easy to manoeuvre and no maintenance or smell - that's fun.
The issue of range is also financially solvable. If you can invest in large batteries, you can get quite far. For the time being, however, market development depends on the goodwill of the owners: You have to want it. Then it works.
