Three years ago, you set out your strategy for more sustainable boating. How far have you got?
On the whole, despite all our efforts, we are still pretty much at the beginning. The market is late compared to what we expected. This is also due to the current poor economic situation. Hybrid drives are considerably more expensive than conventional diesel engines. Because prices have also risen overall due to inflation, this is depressing demand.
What does that mean in concrete terms? How well are your smart electric drives selling?
We still have a market share of barely more than ten per cent.
How much more does an electric drive cost compared to a diesel?
For our Aura 51 catamaran, the net surcharge is around 150,000 euros, and around half of that for a Dufour 530, which includes a diesel generator and a large lithium battery bank with a total capacity of 35 kilowatt hours.
Aren't solar panels part of the Smart Electric option?
No, we offer them separately. But 95 per cent of customers who opt for a hybrid drive order them at the same time because they offer much more autonomy. They no longer need the generator when at anchor.
Some of your Kats with hybrid drive are now also running in charters. What feedback do you get?
Initially, it was often the early adopters who favoured the new technology, i.e. customers who already drive electric cars and have fewer reservations about the range. But now some charter companies are also offering this technology, for example Tradewind Yachting, which wants to convert its entire fleet, or Dream Yacht. Pitter Yachtcharter, which is extremely strong in the Adriatic, is also showing interest in Smart Electric, which makes me very happy. This gives private owners the opportunity to try out the technology on a charter boat before making their final decision. That helps enormously. The feedback we receive from charter guests is very positive overall. The level of satisfaction is overwhelmingly high, higher than with conventionally powered boats. This therefore also offers opportunities for the charter companies.
What do sailors value most?
If you decide in favour of the solar option, then it is clearly the silent mode. You can manoeuvre at anchor or moor using only power from the batteries and, if there is enough sunshine, you can also run the air conditioning and all other consumers for days on end without needing shore power or the generator starting up. Another plus is the high torque of the electric motors, which makes manoeuvring easier. And then motor sailing makes a lot of sense. Cruising cats benefit from a little extra thrust, especially in light winds at the cross; just one or two kilowatt hours of support, which we can ideally recharge with solar power, are enough.
That sounds like you could be quite happy.
Frankly, I'm really frustrated because everything takes so long! Overall, we in the boating industry could and should reduce our carbon footprint much more. After all, sailing or motor boating is purely a leisure activity; nobody necessarily needs their own yacht. That's why construction and operation should have as little impact on the environment as possible. After all, we now have a joint initiative for the creation of lifecycle assessments via the International Boatbuilders' Association. This will help us to understand how we can reduce emissions and resource requirements. For me, it is obvious that we need to switch to electric drives. I am therefore very pleased that the Fountaine-Pajot Group has committed itself to this in the long term.
What will be the predominant alternative drive in five to ten years' time?
I don't want to make a forecast, but we have scenario planning. Our goal is to achieve a 50 per cent share for our smart-electric hybrid by 2030. To achieve this, the price must fall from 15 per cent of the total cost of a boat today to seven per cent. From today's perspective, this will certainly not be easy. But we are working on it. I am optimistic.
And in the long term?
Beyond 2030, the biggest challenge will be to improve charging options. Hydrogen would theoretically be the perfect energy source, but in practice there is a lack of availability. That's why we remain open to new technologies. In any case, we as an industry cannot simply carry on as we have for the last 50 years without paying much attention to our ecosystem. Otherwise we risk losing social acceptance.
