New X Shore 1 electric boat aims at broader mainstream market

The new X Shore 1 electric boat has been conceptualized from its beginnings to generate interest with boat buyers who are keen on going electric but are looking for a more financially friendly option in the premium e-boat category.

With a price of €99,000, X Shore is hoping to encourage a new generation of boat owners, and show them that electric boating is not just the future, but the present.

“In order to bring electric boating to the largest possible audience, it is essential we bring to market a range of models and options to satisfy the different needs and desires of the global boating community.” says X Shore CEO Jenny Keisu. “Crucially, we must make electric boating competitive with fossil-fuel boats to speed up the transition.”

 

The reason the company can offer the X Shore 1 at this kind of price – while still guaranteeing all of the quality and performance of its larger flagship model, the Eelex 800 – is through a long term strategic plan that has seen them build their own production facilities modelled on the assembly line approach of major car manufacturers.

The X Shore 1 will be built at their new factory in  Nyköping, Sweden and is available in two configurations: Top and Open, with three specifications: Utility, Performance and Premium. First orders will be delivered to customers in the second quarter of 2023.

 

X Shore  was founded in 2016 and introduced the Eelex 8000 at the Dusseldorf Boat Show in early 2019.  There are now Eelex 8000s throughout Europe and North America and in 2022 it was nominated for the European Powerboat of the Year and received the jury’s special mention.

The hull shape and detailing of the X Shore 1 echo some of the elements that won the 8000 many design awards, but the new boat is 6.5 metres long instead of 8 metres (21 ft versus 26 feet) and is significantly lighter.

This helps the X Shore 1 deliver speed and range results similar to the larger boat – top speed 30 knots, cruising speed 20 knots, range 50 nautical miles at lower speeds – but uses only a single 63kWh battery instead of two. That means not just lower weight, but lower overall environmental impact, which the company is passionate about. (Electric boats themselves do not emit any carbon, but the manufacturing of the batteries does have a significant carbon footprint).

 

The batteries are made by Austrian company Kreisel and have two patented features – a contact spring connecting technology and Hollowblock cooling system – that make their products world leaders in energy density and durability.

Kreisel famously built an all-electric Hummer for Arnold Schwazenegger and is developing  the battery packs for the upcoming E1 Series electric powerboat races. The company was acquired by John Deere industries in February, which greatly increases their capacity to manufacture at scale and contributes to the competitive price and value of the X Shore 1 electric boat. 

Read about the Kreisel brothers and Arnold’s electric Hummer

 

X Shore 1 electric boat ready to expand market

X Shore was one of the first of the high tech electric boat companies and has attracted funding from some serious and influential investors. In 2019. Ms. Keisu was part of a group that invested €5M (US$ 5.7M) with plans to help the global environment by replacing as many fossil fuel burning boats as possible with sustainable electric craft.

She had previously been a founding partner of Summa Equity, a venture capital firm specializing in backing companies that advance the UN’s Sustainability Goals. “With Summa we were pushing the whole investment industry towards sustainable operations.” she said. “With X Shore we are putting that into practice and reality.”

Further investment of over $50M came in successive financing rounds that brought in green oriented tech investors like Peter Carlsson, founder and CEO of Northvolt batteries, Lukasz Gadowski’s Team Europe holding company and Marec Gasiun, former Head of Automotive Business Development at Google.

All of this helped the company move quickly on its big plan to build the 15,000m2 factory in Nyköping. “These investments allow us to scale our production to keep up with the demand and drive change in the marine industry.” said Keisu at the time, and the company set its course for long-term sustainability and a net-zero future through new technology, innovative research, smart design, and sustainable materials.

Design, sustainability, technology 

The company’s three foundational pillars are design, sustainability, and technology. The  X Shore 1 was designed to exemplify those qualities, and take full advantage of the new factory’s state of the art capabilities.

The assembly line configuration means that X shore can control all of the inputs and the complete production process. The hulls of the X Shore 1 will be built via ‘prepreg’, using a combination of glass fibre and carbon fibre to balance weight, performance and environmental impact. Prepreg refers to using fibres pre-impregnated with resin, meaning less waste, reduced curing time and a healthier work environment.

After assembly in the factory, the X Shore 1 is ready for market – and perfectly sized to fit into the containers used for global shipping.

An independent auditor, Cicero Shades of Green AG, found X Shore to be one of the most sustainable manufacturers in the world this year and awarded the company its top rating of ‘Dark Green.’ “X Shore places great value on sustainability: it drives our work forward, and is central to the company” says Keisu. “The rating is gratifying because X Shore is not just a category-leading electric boat company, but the greenest.”

This pursuit of sustainability also shows up in the detailing of the X Shore 1, which uses  cork instead of teak for additional environmental benefits.

 

Day boat or night

The X Shore 1 can be ordered as a day boat only or with overnight capabilities and includes core features like open transom with in-built swim platform; mesh rail furniture option with central passage; generous deck for sunbathing and leisure; integrated navigation lights in bow rail; cantilevered roof; retractable sun awnings; and water sport capabilities.

“We will be delivering the first X Shore 1 boats to customers early next year, building them in our new factory at a rate of two boats per day as capacity expands.” Says CEO Keisu. “A swift transition to sustainable boating is necessary to help meet global emission reduction targets to be achievable, so we are ramping up production and launching the X Shore 1 at a remarkable price point.”

For more information, visit the X Shore website