These are the most fun electric watercraft we tested this year
Here at Electrek we often get first dibs at testing some of the newest and most interesting electric watercraft in the industry. From electric boats to personal electric watercraft and everything in between, 2022 was a big year for anything electric that floats.
These are some of the coolest and most interesting electric watercraft we tested this year.
Candela C-8 flying electric boat
The Candela C-8 is a major improvement upon the C-7 that I tested last year.
I had the honor of visiting Candela’s production facilities in Stockholm to see how they manufacture these boats, which are bigger, sportier, and fancier than the C-7.
Both models use hydrofoils to lift the hull out of the water, but the C-8 makes it an even more impressive experience. The larger boat features a sun bed, more seating, and even a cabin that sleeps a family of four (as long as two of those four are small children).
The boat flies above the surface of the water with barely a whisper of a sound. Not only do you not hear any water smashing against the boat’s hull, but you can’t even hear the motors since they are completely submerged under the water.
That’s the beauty of the C-8’s C-POD technology, which combines a pair of counter-rotating electric motors in a single torpedo-shaped housing. The submerged design provides better cooling and allows Candela to pull more power out of the surprisingly small-sized motors. I can fit my hands around the motor casing and touch fingers on either side, yet together they create 50 kW of power that propel the boat up to 30 knots. And since the C-8 flies out of the water, the smaller batteries can keep it going for up to 50 nautical miles.
Being able to pilot (captain? drive? operate?) the C-8 was an eye-opening experience that showed me just how far electric boat technology has come.
You don’t need massive batteries and hundreds of kilowatts of motor power to build an electric speedboat with decent range. You just need to get it out of the water!
Awake’s high-speed electric surfboards
Electric boats are fun, but not everyone has hundreds of thousands of dollars or a trailer (or a truck to pull that trailer).
What if you want to keep a sporty electric watercraft in your closet and carry it to the shore in your trunk? That’s where electric surfboards come in.
And the beauty of it is you don’t even have to know how to surf!
I’m a novice but I took to Awake’s electric surfboards right away, quickly getting up on my feet and flying over the surface of the water. My wife joined me for the testing and had a bit of a harder time standing up on her first outing, though she still had a blast riding along like on a boogie board by laying down and zooming around.
These high-performance electric surfboards can reach speeds of around 37 mph (60 km/h), though I wasn’t going quite that fast. Fortunately they have multiple boards that are setup for everyone from beginners to professionals. As a beginner, I started on the RÄVIK 3 and quickly got the hang of accelerating and turning.
More experienced riders will get more performance out of the RÄVIK S, which has different contours to help it carve harder. The narrower board is also better for stunts and tricks, which I definitely wasn’t ready for.
I also tried the Vinga, which is a hydrofoil board. Unlike the Candela electric boats that use computer controlled hydrofoils to keep everything super steady, your brain is the only thing controlling the Vinga’s hydrofoil. I didn’t manage to stay up for more than a few seconds on my first time riding the Vinga, but I hope that if I can try again that I’ll eventually get the hang of it. Staying above the water on a hydrofoil is a very different feeling and apparently requires a different style of balance that I haven’t quite learned yet.
But despite the many wipeouts, I still had an amazing time on the boards. This is absolutely a great way to experience electric watercraft on a budget, at least compared to expensive electric boats. The boards aren’t cheap, starting at around €12,000 (or US $12,000), but that sure beats a several hundred-thousand-dollar electric boat’s price tag!
Outdoor Master Electric Sea Scooter
This one is quite different from first two electric watercraft I featured above. It’s also got a much different price class, coming in at just $299.
I took the sea scooter to a local reef with plenty of fish for a fun day under the water. With several species of local marine fauna to observe, scooting around under the water was a beautiful and eye-opening experience.
This is a less thrilling ride than the Candela C-8 electric boat or the Awake electric surfboards, since it isn’t nearly as fast or aggressive. You barely hit a solid 3 mph or so on the sea scooter, but that’s what it’s designed for. It’s not about an adrenaline-pumping ride, but rather a relaxed scoot around on the sea floor.
For as long as you can hold your breath, it will drag you around like an electric dolphin, showing you the wonders of the marine ecosystem around you. And since you don’t have to spend your energy paddling and swimming, you’ll get a lot more time down there out of each breath.
Taiga Orca electric jet ski
This wasn’t wasn’t actually my test ride, but our fearless leader and editor-in-chief Fred Lambert scored one of the first-ever tests on Taiga’s Orca personal electric watercraft. It looks like such a good time that it’d be a shame to leave it off the list!
Fred also had a chance to Test Taiga’s first electric snowmobile prototype all the way back in 2018. And now that they’ve brought their electric snowmobile to production, they’re going all in on leveraging much of the same technology for a personal electric watercraft.
With 120 kW of power and an estimated range of 45 km (28 miles), there’s a lot of fun to be had on one of these.
Fred was pretty blown away by the experience. As he described it:
Right after our ride, I told Sam Bruneau, the CEO, that I believe these things will sell themselves. All you need is a test ride.
They should appeal to both fans of existing jet skis who want to do away with the noise and gas and to electric vehicle fans who want all the same advantages that their EVs have but on the water.
I was so impressed that I am even considering changing my Taiga electric snowmobile reservation to the Orca.
Even more electric watercraft to come in 2023!
This was a great year for testing out new electric watercraft, but next year should be even better. Many of these companies are working on new models, plus they each have competitors nipping at their heels hoping to snatch up some of that sweet e-watersports marketshare.
Stay with us next year as we continue to cling to the bleeding edge of innovation for all types of electric vehicles!
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Xiaomi has confirmed receiving over 200,000 real orders for its Tesla killer, the YU7, in just three minutes. We are referring to actual orders, with a soon-to-be non-refundable deposit.
Today, Xiaomi launched its second vehicle, the YU7, coming just four years after establishing its EV division and less than a year after introducing its first car, the SU7.
For years, we laughed at the media calling every new EV a ‘Tesla killer’, but over the last few weeks, we have reported how the YU7 might be the first real one.
At the launch event, CEO Lei Jun was not shy about making comparisons to Tesla.
While the CEO praised the automaker for its leading efficiency and ADAS system, Lei Jun released a series of slides that favorably compared the YU7 to the Model Y.
It started with a comparison of the entire dimensions of both vehicles (image translated via Google):
Xiaomi’s CEO then claimed that the new YU7 had a significantly quite cabin with much less road noises than Tesla’s best-selling SUV (image translated via Google):
In my first drive of the YU7, I did note that the cabin was ultra quiet and demonstrated it briefly in my Youtube video about the new electric SUV:
The double-panned acoustic glass all around helps with that, but the vehicle’s suspension is also optimized for noise, as well as active noise cancellation throughout the car.
Xiaomi also claimed that the vehicle, especially its electro-shading sunroof, was able to keep the cabin much cooler in extreme heat than Tesla’s Model Y (image translated via Google):
Lei Jun even shared a tweet that he posted about challenging Tesla Model Y’s best-selling crown and then truly went on the attack with pricing.
Ahead of today’s event Xiaomi had already shared a lot of information about the YU7, but pricing was the last significant piece of the puzzle.
The CEO decided to release with a direct comparison of each variant to Tesla’s own Model Y variant, and it was pretty brutal.
The base YU7 starts at just 253,500 RMB (equivalent to $35,300 USD) – 10,000 RMB less than Tesla, and it offers more than 200 extra km in range (image translated via Google):
As for the YU7 Pro, it starts at 279,900 RMB (equivalent to $39,000 USD), more than 30,000 RMB less than Tesla’s Model Y Long Range and it also compares quite favorably on the main features, including range (image translated via Google):
Finally, the YU7 Max was announced at 329,900 RMB (equivalent to $46,000 USD), 25,000 RMB less than Model Y Performance, and the specs are not even close:
With these incredibly favorable comparisons to Tesla’s best-selling SUV, it’s not surprising that Xiaomi has received record demand for the YU7.
It reported having received over 200,000 orders for the new electric vehicle within 3 minutes of opening orders at 10PM local time on Thursday.
It’s also important to note that these orders represent a genuine show of interest. This is not a Cybertruck situation where Tesla claimed to have over 1 million reservations, but ended up only selling about 50,000 units.
People ordering the vehicle need to place a 5,000 RMB (~700$) deposit, which only remains refundable for a few days before the order becomes locked in.
Xiaomi has already started production of the YU7 and made units available for delivery (with configurations limited to those pre-arranged by their designers) for almost immediate delivery.
Electrek’s Take
It’s hard to overestimate just how much this shook up the industry. At an average sale price of $40,000, that’s about $8 billion in sales that Xiaomi booked in 3 minutes.
I would expect the tally to increase past 400,000 in the coming days, and it will likely lock up a significant portion of potential buyers in the segment, particularly Model Y, for an extended period.
Tesla was already experiencing problems in China and had to offer record incentives to maintain its sales, but it will now face even greater challenges in the second half of the year.
I expect that Tesla will quickly launch its lower priced stripped down Model Y to try to help demand following this beating.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
BYD says there’s no slowdown, despite the rumors. After several sources claimed that BYD was cutting EV production in China due to slowing sales, the company is pushing back, saying output is stable and sales are still growing.
Why is BYD cutting EV production in China?
With nearly 382,476 new energy vehicles (NEVs) sold globally in May, BYD is coming off its best sales month of 2025.
Like most carmakers in China, BYD reports monthly NEV sales, which include fully electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
BYD’s sales are up 39% through the first five months of the year, with over 1.76 million NEVs sold worldwide. Not including its commercial vehicles, BYD’s passenger vehicle sales are up 37% through May, with over 1.73 million units sold.
Its battery-electric vehicles (EVs) are leading the growth, with sales up 40% through the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
After a few sources claimed the growth was not enough and the company was already cutting EV production over slowing sales, BYD is shutting down the rumors.
Two people close to the matter told Reuters on Wednesday that BYD had slowed output at several factories in China. They added that the company was also reportedly delaying plans to add lines to expand output.
The sources claimed that BYD has cut night shifts and reduced capacity at some plants by at least a third as it faces rising inventory. One of them reported that at least four BYD plants are now operating at a slower pace.
On Thursday, a seperate source, close to BYD, told CnEVPost that the rumors are not true. According to the person familiar with the matter, BYD’s production remains stable and sales are still growing steadily. The source added that dealer inventory is at reasonable level.
If true, the claims could have been pretty significant, given BYD’s aggressive price cuts last month. On May 23, BYD slashed prices by up to 34% on 22 of its vehicles.
BYD still expects to sell around 5.5 million vehicles this year, a nearly 30% increase from 2024. Last year, BYD sold over 4.72 million NEVs, up 41% from 2023. However, its annual growth rate has slowed over the past few years.
According to data from CnEVPost, BYD’s annual sales growth rate has declined from 218% in 2021 to 208% in 2022 and 62% in 2023.
The Reuters report cited a survey from the China Automotive Dealer Association last month found that BYD dealers held one of the highest inventory levels, with an average of 3.21 months. In comparison, the industry-wide average was 1.38 months.
Despite this, BYD is still gaining market share in China. The source told CnEVPost that BYD’s share of the auto market has risen from 15% to 17% in just the past few months
Electrek’s Take
With an intensifying EV price war and a wave of low-cost domestic cars flooding the market, Chinese automakers, including BYD, are now looking overseas to drive growth.
BYD is coming off its sixth consecutive month with record overseas sales in May, having sold over 89,000 NEVs outside of China.
After it topped Tesla in monthly vehicle registrations in Europe and the UK this year, BYD launched its most affordable EV earlier this month. The Dolphin Surf is the European version of its top-selling Seagull EV, which can be bought for under $8,000 in China right now.
BYD’s Dolphin Surf arrives as one of the most affordable vehicles in the UK, starting at just £18,650 (about $25,000).
During the launch event, BYD’s special advisor for Europe, Alfredo Altavilla, called (via Autocar) the Dolphin Surf “the missing piece in the A/B-segment.”
According to Altavilla, BYD is launching vehicles in Europe at a faster rate than any other carmaker. “I have zero problem in saying I don’t think there has ever been such a product offensive done in Europe as the one BYD is doing,” he said during the event.
BYD’s sales are expected to double in Europe this year to around 186,000 units. By 2029, S&P Global Mobility forecasts BYD’s sales could reach around 400,000 in Europe. Between its new plants in Hungary and Turkey, BYD is expected to have a combined annual production capacity of over 500,000 units.
And Europe is just one global market. BYD is already a leading EV brand in overseas markets like Brazil, Thailand, Australia, and several other key markets.
Even if the sources’ claims that BYD is cutting production in China were true, the world’s leading EV maker is still expected to see significant growth overseas over the next few years.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Airloom Energy just broke ground on a rectangular wind turbine pilot site near Rock River, Wyoming, and it has the potential to change how wind power gets built in the US.
Backed by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Airloom is developing a new kind of wind turbine that promises to be cheaper, faster to install, and more efficient than today’s towering three-blade giants. The Wyoming site will host the company’s first utility-scale turbine as part of a plan to prove the tech works in the real world.
This comes at a time when the grid could use some more innovation. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) says half the US could face energy shortfalls by 2035. And with AI and data centers driving up demand, Gartner warns that 40% of facilities worldwide will be constrained by access to sufficient power by 2027.
“Current energy technologies can’t meet the growing complexity and demand of the next decade,” said Neal Rickner, Airloom’s CEO. “We need more flexible systems that can be built fast and at scale. That’s the only way we’ll get to real energy security and independence.”
Airloom’s turbines are compact and modular. Instead of sweeping a circular area like traditional turbines, the turbines in the pilot sweep a rectangular area – a design that lets them capture more wind in less space. That makes them a better fit for areas with limited land or strict height limits, like airports or military bases.
They’re also built with small, mass-produced parts made in the US, so they’re cheaper to ship and easier to install. While traditional wind projects can take up to five years to build, Airloom says its turbines can be up and running in under a year.
The Wyoming pilot site is meant to prove the turbines’ performance, validate the cost savings, and build out maintenance and deployment strategies ahead of commercial projects starting in 2027. Airloom is also exploring other use cases like defense, disaster relief, and offshore wind.
The company raised $7.5 million in seed funding last October, with support from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Crosscut Ventures, and others. It also received $5 million in matching funds from the State of Wyoming and a $1.25 million contract from the Department of Defense.
Paul Judge, former head of product management at GE Onshore Wind and now an advisor to Airloom, called the pilot a big moment: “This pilot is more than a test site; it’s the beginning of a fundamentally new approach to resilient renewable energy generation: wind energy that’s faster to deploy, land-efficient, and built for the energy challenges ahead.”
Read more: New DOE report finds 90% of wind turbine materials are recyclable
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike