2023 Miami Boat Show recap: More marine electrification than ever, but plenty of room for more

The 2023 Miami Boat Show has officially come to a close after flooding Miami Beach with all things marine and marine adjacent the past five days. As my second consecutive year attending the show, I noticed a significantly larger footprint for electrification in the segment; I not only got an up-close look at many of the electric boats we cover but also got introduced to several up-and-coming companies, which you can learn more about below.

The Discover Miami International Boat show is the culmination of two previous events – the Miami International Boat Show and the Miami Yacht Show – combining in recent years to form the world’s largest boat and yacht show.

For nearly a week each year, the Miami Boat Show takes over Herald Plaza, Venetian and Museum Park Marinas, and the entire Miami Beach Convention Center to showcase everything from mega yachts to the accessories you can use while aboard.

Last year, the event dedicated an entire footprint to marine electrification called the Charged! Electric Pavilion. Naturally, I was excited to check it out but found its roster of marine EVs to be a bit lackluster. At the time, however, I was told the presence of electric boats and other forms of micro mobility would be much larger in 2023, and that was true.

The 2023 Miami Boat Show had a lot more to offer in terms of exciting new marine EVs and their adjacent technologies. Still, the marine EV segment has just barely launched from the dock compared to the rest of the show, but its growth looks extremely promising. Here are some of the standouts from my visit to Miami Beach this year.

The Miami Boat Show saw many more electric boats in 2023

The 2023 Miami Boat Show not only saw a more crowded Charged! Electric Pavilion (which was indoors with air-conditioning this year, by the way), but there were also some familiar faces in attendance. The pavilion was sponsored by Ford Motor Company, so it had an F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E on display, spreading the good word about EV adoption.

Vision Marine was also in attendance this year after being one of the only electrified marine companies on display in 2022. As a legacy boatbuilder just starting to dip its toe into electrification, Chris-Craft was on the main floor of the convention center rather than with the other EVs, but it gave me the chance to see its new concept up close and climb aboard. (See above.)

• Chris-Craft:
  • The Launch 25 GTe electric boat concept debuted on day one of the Miami Boat Show and was only on display throughout the week. This 133 kWh concept was quite sleek in person, but I feel that Chris-Craft will need to bolster its battery propulsion to add more time on the water for the consumer market.
  • In speaking with the team, it intends to use the Launch 25 GTe for testing and developing it further. I’d say they’re off to a good start here and am looking forward to following the company in the future.

• Ingenity Electric:
  • One year after debuting its all-electric 23E day boat at the same Miami Boat Show and winning the 2022 Innovation Award for deck boats, Ingenity Electric was back with two boats on display. In addition to the aforementioned 23E, Ingenity also integrated its propulsion technology into a luxury mahogany speedboat from the famed boatbuilder Hacker-Craft.
  • This 27-foot special sport speedboat is top-notch quality and can now operate on the water with zero emissions, thanks to its “Powered by Ingenity” tag. It can be yours for a cool $700,000.

• Voltari:
  • Electric marine performance and carbon fiber specialist Voltari is a newer company on my radar, so I was super stoked to visit its booth at Herald Plaza and see two of the Voltari 260s up close.
  • The black one was the boat that recently journeyed from South Florida to the Bahamas on a single charge. These boats are truly sharp up close and are built with some super lightweight materials – perfect for extended time on the water. Founder and CEO Cam Heaps walked me through everything and let me climb aboard. This is for sure an electric boat company to watch.
• X Shore:
  • X Shore is a company we’ve covered many times in recent years at Electrek, so it’s always nice to see it promoting its unique electric boats wherever it is. The boats were front and center in the electric pavilion at this year’s Miami Boat Show.
  • X Shore had two versions of Eelex 8000 on display, which debuted last summer, but I was bummed to see that the upcoming X Shore 1 was not on display. Maybe next year!

Micro mobility on the water is going electric more quickly

Inside the Charged! Electric Pavilion and scattered all throughout this year’s Miami Boat Show was a multitude of exciting companies developing fully electric marine micro mobility. Some names you may recognize, others may be new, but this segment appears to be going electric quite quickly. That makes sense since these toys would make an excellent addition to anyone’s giant boat.

• Flite:
  • Flite is a prominent electric foil brand that recently launched a revamped version of its Series 3 eFoils, including the “world’s lightest” ULTRA L. The team shared a booth with JetSurf (see below) and was in one of the more traffic-heavy spots in Herald Plaza.
  • I’m in the process of scheduling a lesson with Flite to test out its eFoils for myself and will be sure to document those first rides.
• FOIL:
  • Unlike Flite, which is an established name in eFoils, FOIL was newer to me and took me forever to find since its booth was buried away upstairs in the boat accessories section. Still, the company’s tech looks promising and will be one I intend to keep tabs on. More news to come.
• JetSurf USA:
  • I approached JetSurf at the 2022 Miami Boat Show about collaborating, but they were busy launching their lineup of motorized surfboards. This year was different. While the company does sell several gas-powered boards, it offers an electric surfboard I was able to take out to sea and test for myself.
  • I will need more practice before I share any of that footage, but these jet-propelled electric boards can move, hence why JetSurf has established a marine racing league open to all brands, not just its own products. They told me someone can even backflip on one. Wow.
  • The company also makes electric skateboards, including its RIDE model, which I also tested out and loved. Oh, they also have a special “yacht version” that has a teakwood-style grip. How perfect for a yacht owner? I’m working on full reviews of both electrified products, so be sure to check back for updates on that.
• SEABOB:
  • At this point, SEABOB feels like a staple at any boat show. It was in Miami last year, I spoke with the team at the show in Chicago in January, and here it was again at the 2023 Miami Boat Show.
  • These personal electric marine crafts are perfect for solo riding through water without emissions and come in a plethora of styles and colors. I’m looking forward to staying in touch and taking one out myself in Southern California this year.
• Taiga Motors:
  • Lastly, I ran into a familiar face at Taiga Motors. The Canadian electric mobility company had its Orca electric watercraft on display this year, and boy, do they look fun. Electrek’s Fred Lambert has already been lucky enough to test out the Orca, and I’m jealous.
  • Perhaps I can try and test out Taiga’s all-electric snowmobiles, which began deliveries last year. Fingers crossed!

Overall, the 2023 Miami Boat Show was once again worth the trip because there was way more to see and report back to you readers compared to last year. I’m confident next year will bring even more exciting marine electrification to the show’s visitors, as more and more consumers that wealthy enough to afford a boat consider an all-electric one.

That or an electric surfboard, eFoil, or watercraft – the list goes on. Other marine technologies like electric outboard motors and fast chargers from Aqua superPower were more prominent this year too, offering more hope for existing boat companies adding all-electric options to their lineups.

I’m working on several of the test rides and reviews mentioned above, so expect a much more in-depth look at the expanding world of marine electrification in 2023.