Luxury electric boatbuilder ALVA Yachts is doing what many in the maritime industry consistently strive toward – building vessels bigger and better. Its latest solar electric catamaran is a 90-foot superyacht called the OCEAN ECO 90 H2 – in addition to zero-emissions propulsion and sustainable power, it adds hydrogen fuel cells and a wing sail propulsion system to alleviate any need for fuel aboard. Oh, don’t forget the jacuzzi up top.
ALVA Yachts is a German company founded in 2020 by Mathias May and Holger Henn, evolving out of PICA yachts. It was originally founded in 2013 – launching over forty 20- to 30-foot sailing and electric powerboats in its tenure.
We’ve covered the boatbuilder more and more as of late as it looks to create the next generation of zero-emission yachts by developing a growing lineup of solar electric catamarans that are as luxurious as they are sustainable.
In the past three years alone, ALVA Yachts has introduced a 50-foot cruiser, two electric sailboats in lengths of 72- and 82-feet, plus 60- and 90-foot all-electric yachts, including the OCEAN ECO 60, which debuted in 2022 and is now in production.
Last month, ALVA introduced a new 78-foot solar electric catamaran slotted between the OCEAN ECO 60 and OCEAN ECO 90 – the latter of which was previously available as an all-electric or diesel-hybrid superyacht.
Today, however, ALVA has gone all in on fuel-less yachts; a new version of the OCEAN ECO 90 adds hydrogen and wind power to ensure true zero emissions. Have a look.
ALVA is building its first fuel-less electric superyacht
The boatbuilder announced today that the build of its first OCEAN ECO 90 H2 solar electric superyacht is underway and will arrive as its first vessel to run without any fossil fuels, producing zero emissions.
The fully electric superyacht is propelled by two 250 kW motors as standard, with an optional upgrade to a 2×480 kW system. The motors are powered by a 500+ kWh battery pack aboard that can recharge using 200 square meters of solar cells atop the vessel that can provide up to 40 kilowatt-peak (kWp) power from nothing but the sun.
What’s new on the OCEAN ECO 90 H2 is the integration of hydrogen fuel cells as an additional zero emissions range extender, supplied by EODev and integrated by SECO Marine. Lastly, the solar electric superyacht will feature an Oceanwings wind propulsion system from Ayro that utilizes wind sensors on the wing sails to analyze data and adjust the wing sail angle and camber automatically.
The result is a 90-foot catamaran with several sustainable fail-safes to ensure the vessel stays powered for long journeys at sea.
Aside from its ultra-green performance specs, the vessel is still a luxury superyacht. It features an open-air concept that includes an open flybridge and helm, plus a sky lounge, cocktail bar, and top-deck jacuzzi. Other features include a large galley with a full-size fridge, an island with bar stools, and a large dining table that seats twelve guests.
The owner of the first ALVA OCEAN ECO 90 H2 has already stated they plan to use the electric superyacht for commercial use, including private and corporate events, plus charters to showcase that environmentally safe, luxury sailing is possible. ALVA Yachts CEO Holger Henn spoke to the company’s latest build as well:
We are very happy to have found such a confident and innovative client that pushes us to explore new technologies. This project would not be possible without our classification partner DNV which has established new ground rules especially for us because this has never been done before. In addition to DNV, our engineering partner iYacht has surpassed our expectations when faced with such advanced engineering challenges. What is special about this project is certainly the leap that we are making in technology. A superyacht that can operate without fossil fuel is something we could only dream of. But with the help of strong partners and a lot of effort from the ALVA team, we want to show what is possible in boat building today.
As previously stated, ALVA’s first OCEAN ECO 90 H2 is already in production, and it is expected to make its maiden voyage in late 2024.
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Tesla average transaction prices (ATPs) in March are estimated at $54,582, higher year-over-year by 3.5% and higher than in February, according to the latest monthly new-vehicle ATP report from Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book.
Average transaction prices for the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y were higher month-over-month and year-over-year in March. Tesla’s sales in Q1 continued their long-term decline after peaking in Q1 2023. Estimates from Kelley Blue Book suggest Tesla’s sales in Q1 2025 were lower year-over-year by more than 8%. Its deliveries were also worse than expected.
New EV prices in March overall are initially estimated by Kelley Blue Book to be $59,205, higher year-over-year by 7.0%. New EV prices increased from the revised higher February ATP of $57,015.
The ATP for an EV last month was nearly 25% higher than the industry average of $47,462, widening the price gap between new EVs and gas-powered cars even more.
But EVs are still seeing heftier incentives than the industry average. In March, the average EV incentive came in at 13.3% of the transaction price – down 1% from February’s revised 14.3% but still well above what gas cars are getting.
So, where are we heading? Higher prices, thanks to Trump’s tariffs. But what that will look like remains to be seen. Erin Keating, executive analyst at Cox Automotive, said, “All signs point to higher prices this summer, as existing ‘pre-tariff’ inventory is sold down to be eventually replaced with ‘tariffed’ inventory. How high prices rise for consumers is still very much to be determined, as each automaker will handle the price puzzle differently.”
Read more: EV incentives surged to 14.8% of ATP in Feb – highest in 5+ years
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BYD just launched the first EVs based on its new Super e-platform with ultra-fast charging. The new Han L sedan and Tang L SUV can gain nearly 250 miles range in 5 minutes, and prices start at just $30,000.
Meet BYD’s new EVs with ultra-fast charging
During a launch event on April 9, BYD introduced the new EV models, claiming its engineers have “achieved the master realm of Chinese technology.”
The Han L and Tang L are the first EVs based on BYD’s 1000V Super e-platform. After unveiling the ultra-fast EV charging platform last month, BYD’s CEO, Wang Chuanfu, said to ease charging anxiety, “The ultimate solution is to make charging as quick as refueling a gasoline car.”
That solution is now here. BYD’s new Han L is available in three trims, starting at just 219,800 yuan ($30,000), lower than the pre-sale price of 270,000 yuan ($36,800).
BYD’s new electric sedan is 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall, or about the size of a Tesla Model S (5,021 mm long, 1,987 mm wide, and 1,431 mm tall).
All variants are powered by an 83.2 kWh BYD Blade battery, providing up to 435 miles (701 km) of CLTC driving range. Based on BYD’s 1,000V architecture, the Han L comes with two charge guns with an up to 10C charge rate.
Nearly 250 miles in just 5 minutes?
With ultra-fast charging, the electric sedan can gain 400 km (248 miles) in just five minutes. In six minutes, it can recharge from 10% to 70%, and in just 20 minutes, it can fully recharge (0% to 100%) the battery.
Like all its new EV models, the Han L is equipped with BYD’s God’s Eye smart driving assist system. It features the mid-tier “B” version and DiPilot 300.
BYD’s new electric SUV, the Tang L, is also offered in three trims. It starts at 239,800 yuan ($32,700), also below the pre-sale price of 280,000 yuan ($38,200).
The Tang L is also based on BYD’s 1,000V architecture and ultra-fast charging platform. Powered by a 100.5 kWh battery, it has a CLTC range of up to 435 miles (701 km) and can gain 230 miles (370 km) in 5 minutes. It will take about 30 minutes to go from 0% to 100%.
BYD’s electric SUV is 5,040 mm long, 1996 mm wide, and 1,760 mm tall, or slightly bigger than the new Tesla Model Y Juniper in China (4,797 mm long, 1,920 mm wide, and 1,624 mm tall).
Like the Han L EV, the electric SUV has BYD’s God’s Eye B ADAS system with DiPilot 300. Both the Han L and Tang are available as PHEVs, starting at 209,800 yuan ($28,500) and 229,800 yuan ($31,300).
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The fintech sector is rallying Wednesday following the Trump administration’s announcement of a 90-day pause on planned tariffs.
Affirm was up 20%, Toast and Block rose 13% and PayPal increased 10%.
The 90-day pause doesn’t eliminate the threat of tariffs — it just delays it. Investors are still pricing in risk, including inflation, discretionary pullbacks, hardware import costs and credit exposure.
Legacy payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard, both up 6%, continue to benefit from inflation and their structural ties to nominal GDP. These companies take a percentage of every transaction. That makes rising prices a tailwind.
“If prices are moving up for certain goods and you’re paying with a credit card, it’s actually good for the credit card companies,” said Dan Dolev, a fintech analyst at Mizuho.
Their pricing structure has historically made them resilient during inflationary periods, including recessions. The situation is less rosy for the new wave of consumer lending fintechs.
Affirm, which specializes in allowing consumers to buy now and pay later, could suffer if consumers pull back spending when the pause is lifted as a result of tariffs causing prices to rise. The San Francisco-based company could see its revenue less transaction costs margins — essentially what the company pockets after paying processing fees and customer incentives — drop more than 22% in that scenario, according to a Goldman Sachs estimate on Tuesday.
The adoption of buy now, pay later may rise as consumers hit credit limits, said SIG analyst James Friedman, but he added that the model remains untested in a downturn.
Toast, Block and Fiserv, which was up 6%, develop software used by restaurants and small businesses. Those companies could face rising hardware costs and softening demand from customers if the tariffs go through.
Meanwhile, cross-border payments — one of the most profitable segments for Visa, Mastercard and PayPal — remain under pressure as global travel slows and e-commerce flows adjust to the uncertainties of Trump’s tariffs.
Even remittance players such as Remitly and Western Union, both up 8%, could face longer-term pain if immigration pipelines slow or remittance corridors tighten under regulatory scrutiny. Similar to cross-border commerce, remittances depend on a steady flow of people and transactions, both of which remain fragile.
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