Aqua superPower further expands marine fast charging network in US, UK and Italy
Marine fast charging network Aqua superPower continues to add installations to its global network, with new chargers at Lake George in New York State, Lake Maggiore in Italy’s Lake District and 10 sites along the south coast of the United Kingdom.
The Aqua superpower chargers are brand agnostic and will charge all electric boat brands as they bring new recreational and commercial boats to market. Each station is ‘smart’ and permanently connected to Aqua superPower’s back-office. Customers pay Aqua directly for their consumed electrons through an online and Apple/Google app that helps customers find charging stations, check availability, provide real-time charge-session management, and manage their billing.
You can explore the locations of the existing network stations on the Aqua superPower website. Here are details of the latest installations:
USA: Lake George, New York
Queen Boat Co., Freedom Boat Club
The Queen Boat Co, home of Freedom Boat Club Lake George, is also now home to New York State’s first Aqua superPower marine fast charger. The 75 DC unit was turned on at a June 9 event that also offered attendees the opportunity to go out for a spin on one of three electric boats: an Ingenity 23E electric day boat, Super Air Nautique GS22E electric watersport / towboat, or an all e-electric 27 foot Hacker-Craft Special Sport.
The Ingenity 23E and Super Air Nautique GS22E are both award-winners. The Ingenity 23E was selected as the 2022 winner of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Innovation Awards in the category ‘Cuddy Cabin, Bowrider, Deck Boats’.
The GS22E was Boating Magazine’s 2021 Boat of the Year, selected out of a field of more than 100 boats evaluated by the editorial staff of the magazine. Boating notes that “The Boat of the Year not only stands out on its own, but also stands out more than any other boat stands out in any other category.”
Super Air Nautique GS22E wins Boat of the Year
Hacker-Craft is the world’s largest builder of classic mahogany motorboats, founded in 1908 and based on Lake George for decades. The legendary company has partnered with Ingenity for its new line of electric classics, the Aquavant Series, which launches with three models: the Monaco, Center Console and Commuter
Dave Wick, Executive Director of the Lake George Park Commission, delivered a speech from New York State Govenor Kathy Hochul, who said “What Matt O’Hara and his team at the Queen Boat Co. are doing is setting the stage for the future. With this new fast-charge dockside electric charging system and his increasing fleet of electrified boats, Matt is showing that local business can take important leadership roles in helping protect our natural environment as a part of their business model.”
Second Aqua fast charger later this summer
New York State boasts over 400,000 registered vessels under 25 feet in length, which provides a tremendous opportunity to eliminate emissions by adopting clean electric boating.
For his part, Matt O’Hara said “Having these incredible boats on hand for people to demo was a massive success as people got to experience just how great electric boats are. The overwhelming positive feedback we received was further validation that electric propulsion is going to be a major source of joy for a large segment of the boating public, and that there is a need for this critical charging infrastructure to accelerate adoption.”
This Aqua installation is only the first on Lake George. Later this summer the second one will go in at Morgan Marine, a subsidiary of Hacker-Craft, which is about 17 miles (25 km) up the lake.
Erin Badcock, COO of Hacker-Craft said “With Queen Boat Co’s new Aqua charger installation and the upcoming installation at Morgan Marine LG, we are confident Lake George will become a leading market in the electric boating industry with reliable charging stations for electric boat owners. Building an electric charging network is a necessary factor to the growth of the electric boating market, and we could not be happier to be a part of the partnership with Aqua, Ingenity and Queen Boat Co.”
Queen Boat Co. Hacker-Craft Aquavant Collection
Ingenity 23E Super Air Nautique GS22E
Italy: Lake Maggiore
Marina di Verbella
In Italy, Aqua superPower has installed a charger on Lake Maggiori, a rising centre of electric boat activity and the testing location for the hydrofoiling RaceBirds of the E1 Series of electric boat races. The site of the new 75V DC charger, Marina di Verbella, already hosts several world-class electric boat brands, including Candela, X Shore, Marian Boats, as well as a privately owned Nautique GS22E. The charger went live at the Lake Maggiore Boat Show, held at the marina on May 13-15.
Philipp Nieland, the owner of the Nautique GS22E, said “I couldn’t be more excited about the new Aqua 75 DC marine supercharge station. Coming from Bavaria, Germany, where environmental regulations mean inland lakes are only accessible to electric boats, I have long been an e-boat convert. Now it is even better. I can enjoy the exhilaration of silent boating, water skiing, and wake boarding and recharge my Nautique in the time I have a leisurely lunch, instead of having to rely on slow AC overnight charging.”
Marina di Verbella is a leader in best sustainability and environmental practices, embracing marine electrification and supporting customers who want to switch to clean electric boating. Activities like the installation of Aqua superPower’s charger and the realization of 1MW of electricity from solar panels are among the reasons it was awarded the Marina Excellence certification for sustainability by the Ticino Natural Park where the marina is located.
Marco Diana, CEO of Marina di Verbella, expressed his enthusiasm for the new Aqua marine charging stations. ”Our marina has long since embarked on a green path and we are proud to be able to host the first installation of an Aqua charging station in inland Italian waters. This helps to strengthen the concept of sustainability, and Lake Maggiore is projected to be the first “electrified” Italian lake with a capillary network of recharging hubs, which will allow boaters with electric propulsion boats to enjoy comfortable navigation in total serenity and autonomy.”
“Aqua’s new marine charging stations at Marina di Verbella will accelerate the adoption of both commercial and leisure electric boating on Lake Maggiore.” Said Michele Bolpagni, Country Manger Italy of Aqua superPower. “We plan to install three more charging stations on Lake Maggiore in the coming months, which will create the first major European inland lake Aqua charging network.”
UK: The Electric Seaway
10 marinas and sites along south coast of UK
Aqua superPower is leading a consortium that has secured £3.2m UK government funding for the ‘Electric Seaway’ project that will build out marine charging infrastructure in 10 sites along the south coast of England. The installations will service electric leisure and commercial vessels under 24m (72 feet). This is a rapidly growing fleet of both new boats and refits that operates in and around the UK’s 120 commercial ports and 400 non-cargo handling ports.
By enabling those vessels to move to clean energy, the Electric Seaway will support the country’s Maritime 2050 decarbonization goals and prevent an estimated 300 tonnes of CO2 from being released into the environment each year.
Aqua is working with ZPN Energy, a UK company specializing in mobile EV charging, home energy management and off grid charging solutions. The Electric Seaway will deliver a shoreside battery solution for the chargers and make use of all forms of energy sources including renewables.
James Foster, CEO of ZPN Energy, said: “We are proud to have our unique battery backed ultra-rapid charging technology included to ensure locations with limited grid supply can have rapid charging. Ordinarily this would have meant slow AC charging as you typically see in some roadside locations. These installations guarantee charge rates and prevent unnecessary load balancing.”
Funding for the Electric Seaway has been provided through Innovate UK and the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 3 (CMDC3). Partners include the University of Plymouth; South Hams District Council; and the UK Harbour Masters’ Association. A number of these partners were involved in the Marine eCharging Living Lab (MeLL) project in Plymouth that launched the UK’s first charging network for electric maritime vessels in May of 2022.
UK’s 1st high power DC electric boat charging network
Proving the ‘if you build it they will come’ theory, the Plymouth area and south coast of the UK is now home to a growing cluster of electric boat and low carbon marine businesses and startups. The South Hams District Council will be providing a location for the first Electric Seaway demonstrations as part of its ambitious carbon reduction and economic growth targets for the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport.
Environmental sensors in the charging installations will monitor their usage and impact to help develop a business model and strategy for wide scale deployment of marine charging infrastructure in the UK and internationally. Innovate UK sees the opportunity to act as a ‘first-mover’ in the electric boat and boat charging sectors.
Alex Bamberg, CEO of Aqua superPower, said: “This is our third Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition win, which is testament to the knowledge and commitment of our consortium partners and reinforces Aqua superPower’s recognized expertise in marine charging and electrification. It is a fantastic opportunity to create critical marine charging infrastructure on the south coast of England that can provide confidence to both commercial and leisure users by minimizing the range and charging anxiety we have seen in the EV sector.”
