Look out for Norway’s new electric boat motors
Norway’s new electric boat motor company Evoy is racking up awards, investment and partnerships as it moves toward launch in the next few months.
Its vision is nothing less than to eliminate global boating emissions, and it is starting by putting together a range of electric inboard and outboards – from 75 to 670 kW (100 to 900hp) – for work boats in the aquaculture industry and then moving into faster planing hull boats.
Its’ been a very busy few months for Evoy
The company is on quite the tear:
- Late 2018: Evoy (for E-VOYage) signs a contract with Helgeland Plast to install the first prototype of the propulsion system in a Polarcircle 860 workboat
- January: Raises investment of NOK 3.75 million from private sources, NOK 1.2 million from Innovation Norway
- Also accepted into the Katapult Ocean accelerator program for startups that will have positive impact on oceans (One of the other recipients is the hybrid Brim Explorer arctic cruise boat, which we wrote about a few weeks ago)
- April: Founder Lief Stavøstrand wins the climate award from the county of Sogn & Fjordane where the firm is located.
- May: PwC, BKK Green InVest, Bergen Business Council and Energy and Climate magazine present their SPIR 2019 Award to Evoy as Norway’s top green technology start-up.
Company was established in early 2018
According to its website, the idea for Evoy had been percolating since 2003. Founder Stavøstrand grew up around the sea with a father, Gunnar, who is a serial entrepreneur, carpenter, fish farmer, and marine product developer. Stavøstrand the elder started Coast Innovation in 2002 and built a substantial business in floating ferry ramps and boat lifts. It also has a patent pending for adjustable floating ferry ramps with charging for electric ferries.
After studying for his BSC in Naval Architecture, Stavøstrand the younger worked in various firms connected to Norway’s oil industry, rising to become the CEO and Administrative Director of Fjord Base, one of the homes of INC Group’s oil and gas operations.
He obviously harboured dreams to disconnect boat propulsion from fossil fuels and help protect the seas he grew up with because he resigned from this position in 2017 to get serious about starting Evoy.
The company’s specific goals are to introduce the first inboard product on the Polarcirkel 860 from Helgeland Plast / Akva Group. According to Norwegian site TU Maritime it will have a 100kW battery providing continuous power of 230 kW (310 hp) with a peak 435 kW (590 hp). It will have a range of about 25 nautical miles and can be charged in a half hour.
Maybe most impressive, the motor will give the work boat a top speed of 60 knots, making it the world’s fastest series-produced boat. It will be used to transport workers to and from offshore fish farms.
The inboard seems to be similarly impressive and is planned for release in early 2020. We’ll keep you informed!
Find out more about »» Evoy on their website.
Photos: Boat: Helgeland-Plast, Gunnar Stavøstrand: Firda.no, Leif Stavøstrand: Linkedin
