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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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Daily EV Recap: NJ signs law approving a punitive $250 new EV registration fee

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Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from Electrek. Quick Charge is now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded Monday through Thursday and again on Saturday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they’re available.

Stories we discuss in this episode (with links):

‘Pro-EV’ New Jersey just OK’ed the US’s highest dumb EV fee

BYD says EVs have entered the ‘knockout round’ with next-gen tech rolling out

Ford drastically cuts workforce at F-150 Lightning EV plant amid ‘much slower’ demand

XPeng (XPEV) launches two EVs in Germany with plans to enter more EU nations later this year

Tesla starts using ‘Supervised Full Self-Driving’ language

Listen & Subscribe:

Share your thoughts!

Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!

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You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.

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The first entirely US-made crystalline solar panels are coming to market

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The first entirely US-made crystalline solar panels are coming to market

All US-made solar panels featured only imported solar cells until now, but two US manufacturers just struck a three-year, $400 million deal. 

Canada-headquartered Heliene, which makes solar panels in Minnesota, will incorporate Georgia-based Suniva’s US-made monocrystalline silicon solar cells into its panels, and those “Made in the USA” panels will hit the market in mid-2024, thanks to a new three-year strategic sourcing contract between the two companies.

Heliene’s modules will be the first crystalline solar panels with US-made solar cells. Suniva says the catalyst for the pairing was solar project owners and developers wanting their projects to qualify for the 10% Domestic Content Bonus Investment Tax Credit. That’s achieved by using US-made cells based on the US Department of Treasury’s guidance published in May 2023 – and that’s in addition to the 30% IRA tax credit for renewable energy factories.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who visited Suniva’s Norcross, Georgia, factory yesterday, said, “Before this Administration, solar companies across the United States were struggling. Between 2016 and 2020, nearly 20% of solar manufacturing jobs were lost. Now, though there remain significant challenges, Inflation Reduction Act tax credits are helping change the game.”

Cristiano Amoruso, CEO of Suniva, said, “We are proud to fulfill our long-standing promise to bring back cell manufacturing to the United States at our Norcross facility.”

Read more: The US’s oldest solar factory filed for bankruptcy in 2017 – but now it’s back


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –ad*

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Porsche retires gas-powered Boxster and Cayman in the EU with all-electric model coming

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Porsche retires gas-powered Boxster and Cayman in the EU with all-electric model coming

The gas-powered Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman models are being discontinued in Europe as an all-electric version approaches its debut.

Porsche retires gas-powered 718 Boxster, Cayman cars

After announcing plans to retire its best-selling SUV in Europe, the Macan, Porsche will do the same with its 718 Boxster and Cayman models.

Porsche retired the gas-powered Macan early due to new cybersecurity rules. Its availability ends in July 2024. The gas-powered 718 Boxster and Cayman are now set for the same fate.

In a statement to Auto Express, Porsche said as a result of the rule changes “sale of the 718 models with an internal combustion engine is discontinued in the EU and some states that apply EU legislation from now on, thereby ensuring that the vehicles can be delivered to customers and registered by the deadline.”

Porsche did note the 718 Cayman GT4 RS and 718 Spyder RS are not impacted “due to small series regulations.”

Porsche-Macan-EV-Turbo
Porsche Macan EV (left) and Turbo (right) versions (Source: Porsche AG)

Although the regulation applies to all vehicles (ICE and EV), Porsche is preparing to launch an all-electric 718 model. It’s not expected to have any issues with the new rules.

Like with the Macan, updating the gas-powered version would be too costly with an electric model rolling out anyways.

Porsche’s electric 718 is getting closer to production ahead of its debut. We got a sneak peek of the EV this week after it was spotted testing in the Arctic Circle rocking production headlights.

Porsche 718 EV testing (Source: CarSpyMedia)

The German automaker is expected to reveal the electric 718 model before the end of the year with deliveries kicking off in 2025. Porsche has already begun preparing its Zuffenhausen plant for the new EV.

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume confirmed plans to begin Macan EV deliveries later this year. Up next will be an electric 718 model followed by the long-awaited Cayenne EV.

Porsche-retires-Boxster
(Source: Porsche AG)

Porsche said it’s expanding “upward” with plans for an ultra-luxury electric SUV, slated to sit above the Cayenne. Blume called it “a very sporting interpretation of an SUV.”

Despite several automakers pulling back Porsche is sticking to its target of an 80% EV delivery share by 2030.

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