Navier shows off flying electric boat and claims ‘world’s longest range’
Electric boat manufacturer Navier is showing off the first flight of its Navier N27 hydrofoil electric boat. The company plans to follow this maiden voyage announcement with the unveiling of its larger N30 hydrofoil electric boat.
Hydrofoils, which function similarly to airplane wings underwater, help lift boats above the surface. By carrying the hull out of the water, hydrofoils can help dramatically reduce the energy required, resulting in longer run times with less “fuel.” In the case of electric boats, that means significantly fewer batteries.
And considering that batteries are the heaviest and most expensive part of an electric boat, hydrofoils are often seen as one of the leading options for increasing the range of electric watercraft.
Navier is now showing off the first test flight of their prototype all decked out in dazzle camouflage.
The company, which broke cover earlier this year to announce a $7.2M funding round, now touts $10M in funding from Next View Ventures, Liquid 2, GFC, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and Primavera Capital.
Navier claims that its 30 ft (9.1 m) upcoming N30 boat will be “the first commercially available electric hydrofoiling boat in America.”
The company seems to be overlooking the fact that the Candela C-8 is already available for order worldwide, including in the United States, and even has a Florida-inspired variant.
Even so, Navier still says its N30 will be the longest-range electric boat, boasting 75 miles (65 nautical miles or 121 km) of range and speeds of up to 35 knots (40 mph or 64 km/h). Just don’t expect to go 35 knots and get 65 nautical miles of range on the same trip. But with a super-efficient hydrofoil design that is said to be 10x more efficient than most V-hull ICE-powered boats, each trip should be pretty darn efficient.
As founder Sampriti Bhattacharyya explained:
We’re rethinking the boat from the ground up – with software at the core – enabling us to deliver a vessel that is highly differentiated on customer experience and performance. With Navier, the goal is to free our oceans and lakes from fossil fuel pollutants while delivering a luxury and performance based boating experience.
Bhattacharyya, who has a PhD from MIT in robotics and was formerly an aerospace engineer, originally expected that she’d spend her career designing aircraft. As she continued:
I always thought I would build for the sky but the world’s waterways represent the largest opportunity to innovate and create long term impact.
We don’t yet have full specs on the N30 or its hydrofoil system, but the company has mentioned that it will feature autopilot-style technology and can handle flying in seas as high as three to four feet (92-122 cm).
That autonomous technology seems to be a key part of Navier’s design goals, though other electric boat makers are also developing their own autopilot systems.
With production of the company’s first N27 models currently underway and N30 models available for reservation, Navier looks intent to become the next big hydrofoil electric boat maker.
Electrek’s Take
It’s great to see new EV companies pop up, though Navier has a long way to go if it expects to challenge Candela. The Swedish hydrofoil electric boat maker has years of experience and already boasts a long list of customers with boats in the water, including in the United States.
The company’s original C-7 model has been replaced by its C-8, which looks closer to what Navier’s renders depict. That would make Navier a direct competitor.
For now it seems like Navier is currently using boat builder Lyman-Morse to create its hulls, so the company would need to expand its operations and bring production in house if it hopes to compete on the same level.
But I’ll withold further judgement until I can actually see one of these boats in person. If it flies as well as the Candela C-8 did on my last test ride in Stockholm, I’ll be impressed.
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Wind energy powered 20% of all electricity consumed in Europe (19% in the EU) in 2024, and the EU has set a goal to grow this share to 34% by 2030 and more than 50% by 2050.
To stay on track, the EU needs to install 30 GW of new wind farms annually, but it only managed 13 GW in 2024 – 11.4 GW onshore and 1.4 GW offshore. This is what’s holding the EU back from achieving its wind growth goals.
Three big problems holding Europe’s wind power back
Europe’s wind power growth is stalling for three key reasons:
Permitting delays. Many governments haven’t implemented the EU’s new permitting rules, making it harder for projects to move forward.
Grid connection bottlenecks. Over 500 GW(!) of potential wind capacity is stuck in grid connection queues.
Slow electrification. Europe’s economy isn’t electrifying fast enough to drive demand for more renewable energy.
Brussels-based trade association WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson summed it up: “The EU must urgently tackle all three problems. More wind means cheaper power, which means increased competitiveness.”
Permitting: Germany sets the standard
Permitting remains a massive roadblock, despite new EU rules aimed at streamlining the process. In fact, the situation worsened in 2024 in many countries. The bright spot? Germany. By embracing the EU’s permitting rules — with measures like binding deadlines and treating wind energy as a public interest priority — Germany approved a record 15 GW of new onshore wind in 2024. That’s seven times more than five years ago.
If other governments follow Germany’s lead, Europe could unlock the full potential of wind energy and bolster energy security.
Grid connections: a growing crisis
Access to the electricity grid is now the biggest obstacle to deploying wind energy. And it’s not just about long queues — Europe’s grid infrastructure isn’t expanding fast enough to keep up with demand. A glaring example is Germany’s 900-megawatt (MW) Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm. The turbines are ready to go, but the grid connection won’t be in place until 2026.
This issue isn’t isolated. Governments need to accelerate grid expansion if they’re serious about meeting renewable energy targets.
Electrification: falling behind
Wind energy’s growth is also tied to how quickly Europe electrifies its economy. Right now, electricity accounts for just 23% of the EU’s total energy consumption. That needs to jump to 61% by 2050 to align with climate goals. However, electrification efforts in key sectors like transportation, heating, and industry are moving too slowly.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has tasked Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen with crafting an Electrification Action Plan. That can’t come soon enough.
More wind farms awarded, but challenges persist
On a positive note, governments across Europe awarded a record 37 GW of new wind capacity (29 GW in the EU) in 2024. But without faster permitting, better grid connections, and increased electrification, these awards won’t translate into the clean energy-producing wind farms Europe desperately needs.
Investments and corporate interest
Investments in wind energy totaled €31 billion in 2024, financing 19 GW of new capacity. While onshore wind investments remained strong at €24 billion, offshore wind funding saw a dip. Final investment decisions for offshore projects remain challenging due to slow permitting and grid delays.
Corporate consumers continue to show strong interest in wind energy. Half of all electricity contracted under Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in 2024 was wind. Dedicated wind PPAs were 4 GW out of a total of 12 GW of renewable PPAs.
Read more: Renewables could meet almost half of global electricity demand by 2030 – IEA
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the official unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, and more.
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The Chinese EV leader is launching a new flagship electric sedan. BYD’s new Han L EV leaked in China on Friday, revealing a potential Tesla Model S Plaid challenger.
What we know about the BYD Han L EV so far
We knew it was coming soon after BYD teased the Han L on social media a few days ago. Now, we are learning more about what to expect.
BYD’s new electric sedan appeared in China’s latest Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) filing, a catalog of new vehicles that will soon be sold.
The filing revealed four versions, including two EV and two PHEV models. The Han L EV will be available in single- and dual-motor configurations. With a peak power of 580 kW (777 hp), the single-motor model packs more power than expected.
BYD’s dual-motor Han L gains an additional 230 kW (308 hp) front-mounted motor. As CnEVPost pointed out, the vehicle’s back has a “2.7S” badge, which suggests a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint time of just 2.7 seconds.
To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model S Plaid can accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 2.1 seconds. In China, the Model S Plaid starts at RBM 814,900, or over $110,000. Speaking of Tesla, the EV leader just unveiled its highly anticipated Model Y “Juniper” refresh in China on Thursday. It starts at RMB 263,500 ($36,000).
BYD already sells the Han EV in China, starting at around RMB 200,000. However, the single front motor, with a peak power of 180 kW, is much less potent than the “L” model. The Han EV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.
At 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,970 mm, BYD’s new Han L is roughly the size of the Model Y (4,970 mm long, 1,964 mm wide, 1,445 mm tall, wheelbase of 2,960 mm).
Other than that it will use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack from BYD’s FinDreams unit, no other battery specs were revealed. Check back soon for the full rundown.
Source: CnEVPost, China MIIT
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