World’s most powerful electric outboard sets challenge
The maker of the world’s most powerful electric outboard – Evoy – is partnering with the world’s 1st all electric boat sharing service – Kruser – challenging Nordic designers and builders to come up with the most perfectly matched boat to meet the needs and desires of the service’s members.
Together the Norwegian companies announced their “mutual aspiration to make sustainable boating more accessible to more people”. They are looking for designs for an 8-10 passenger planing boat using the Evoy outboard that will be added to Kruser’s current fleet of leisure speed e-boats.
Boat sharing launched in 2020
Kruser was launched in 2020 with two locations in Olso as an affordable and environmentally better alternative to boat ownership. A seasonal membership costing NOK 26,400 (US$ 3,000 • € 2,500) provides access to a fleet of GreenWaves 601 electric boats without the member needing to worry about insurance, dock space, or other sundry boating details.
Memberships sold out for the 2020 season, and the service is now also offering a Premium membership for 2021 which will give access to the Evoy propelled planing boat as well as the new Mana 23 from RAND Boats that was just launched in the last week of August.
The Greenwaves 601 is a 6m • 20ft open boat with a 7.5kW motor and a cruising speed of 4-7kts • 7-13kmh • 4.5-8mph that can be out on the water for a good 4 hours at the 5kt speed.
The Rand Mana 23 is a larger day cruiser – 7.20m • 23.6ft long with a beam of 2.3m • 7.5ft – and has a more powerful motor and larger battery bank.
Both are designed and optimized for socializing. The GreenWaves holds 8 passengers and the Rand Mana can seat 12 around a built in table. They also include options like sunbathing or swimming platforms, refrigerators and stereo with bluetooth connection.
There are always people who are looking for speed and excitement in a boat, though, and that is where the Evoy/Kruser challenge comes in.
Boat for world’s most powerful electric outboard
Evoy was founded in 2018 with the mission and goal of eliminating carbon emissions in boating and focuses on developing powerful all-electric systems for fast boats between 20 and 50 feet / 6 – 15 metres.
Their 670kW • 900 HP electric inboard powers a 8.6m • 28ft Helgeland Plast Polarcircle 860 workboat named Evoy 1 which was christened by the Prime Minister of Norway and came very close to breaking the world speed record for a production electric boat.
The outboard that will eventually go on the Kruser boats isn’t as powerful as that inboard, but it is the most powerful electric outboard in the world. It has an estimated peak power of 150kW • 200HP with up to 350Nm of torque and RPMS of 5-6000.
The challenge, or assignment, is for builders to come up with a design that can hold 8-10 people and to have the boats ready for spring of 2021.
The boatbuilder is free to come up with something entirely new or suggest an existing or modified model. In any case, it must be between 6 – 7.6m • 20 – 25ft, be made of a material that is recyclable and have the durability and intuitive operation interfaces necessary for a boat used often by a variety of users. It also needs to have a seating/dining area, a removable top for weather conditions and meet certain security and storage requirements.
Electric + sharing = the future of boating
Evoy Founder and CEO Leif Stavøstrand said “We have had a lot of inquiries from manufacturers about the 150 for privately purchased boats, but we see Kruser’s boat sharing as a great partner for the first production. Many more people will be able to try the outboard and experience the joys of electric boating.”
It all fits in perfectly with Kruser’s belief that the combination of electric boats and boat sharing will be the future, says Kruser Co-Founder and CEO Christer Ervik.
“The membership and sharing model demands boats that incorporate fine design but can also withstand a lot of use. This is an opportunity to communicate and collaborate with suppliers to prove the benefits of electric boats and create an environmentally friendly boating experience suited to people’s busy lives.” They both agree it is a very effective springboard to raise awareness about electrification of boats both in Norway and internationally.
Stavøstrand concludes “We are very excited about the solutions that the boat builders of various Nordic countries can come up with. It will show the world the massive possibilities for growth in marine electrification of fleets of all kinds around the world.”
