BLT’s 42 mph electric ‘hyperfoil’ jet ski has already received 3x more orders than it can produce
Bay Area startup Boundary Layer Technologies (BLT) has been taking pre-orders for its all-electric, jet ski-like hydrofoil it calls Valo. Despite still being in the prototype phase, the demand for what its makers describe as a “hyperfoil” is clearly there. The company’s initial production run of the electric jet ski variant is sold out well past 2023.
Boundary Layer Technologies was founded in 2018 in the Bay Area of California, where it is currently headquartered in Alameda. BLT’s team consists of engineers that have helped design and develop self-landing rockets, hyperloops, drones, and foiling racing yachts.
However, BLT is taking its biggest plunge with its flagship product – see Valo below. This all-electric hydrofoiling spin on watercraft (that’s actually the more accurate term than “jet ski”) was developed as recently as 2022 after the BLT decided to shift its focus from hydrofoiling container ships to something significantly smaller… they’re also cheaper and can be brought to market more quickly.
Valo is an electric watercraft that differs from a jet ski like Taiga’s, for instance; it uses hydrofoils to lift the entire hull of the water. This not only uses less energy (a very precious commodity in any EV, let alone one of such compact size) but also produces virtually zero wake. Add zero noise pollution, thanks to its electric motors, and Valo is like a sleek aquatic ninja. (So many Kawasaki references today.)
As BLT works toward its initial production run of the electric Valo jet skis hyperfoils, it shared that it has already sold out. Check this bad boy out.
BLT has (literally) elevated the electric jet ski with Valo
According to recent coverage of the Valo hyperfoil by PlugBoats, the hydrofoiling cousin to the electric jet ski is already sold out through 2023. After opening pre-orders late last year, the startup shared it had garnered $1 million in orders in the first three weeks.
Most recently, BLT shared that it actually received three times the number of orders it has the capacity to produce this year – a promising sign for a nascent form of sustainable mobility on the water. Per BLT CEO Ed Kearney:
Valo will be a complete revolution to personal watercraft. The first Jetski was on the market 50 years ago this year, and it’s time for a major upgrade. Valo will be fast, agile, and tremendously exhilarating, all while being near silent and leaving zero wake. It will be like flying a stunt plane but on water. We see this as a completely new form of water based mobility.
We also have some pertinent specs that vary a bit from the original debut last year. Valo can reach a top speed of 42 mph and a cruise speed of 30 mph. A minimum speed of 15 mph is required to get the electric jet ski up and hydrofoiling.
When cruising, Valo can deliver up to 2 hours and 20 minutes on the water, depending on wind and water conditions, of course. The vessel can replenish in about 3 hours on a Level 2, 240V AC charger. The watercraft is built from carbon fiber composites, titanium, and stainless steel to optimize strength while limiting weight (430 pounds in total). It can also carry two passengers.
One last cool feature is Valo’s proprietary Skydrive system designed by BLT, which measures the position and behavior of the watercraft 100 times per second, then determines the ideal position of each of the control surfaces before semi-autonomously adjusting accordingly. This ensures a smooth, stable ride the team compares to flying.
Whether you want to call it an electric jet ski, watercraft, hydrofoil, or hyperfoil – your chances of riding one this year are close to zero if you haven’t already gotten your pre-order in. However, 2024 is a new year, and BLT still has production slots available. The starting MSRP of the Valo is $59,000, but you can reserve one with a fully refundable deposit of $500. Watch this Valo in action below:
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Electricity demand is surging in Texas, and solar, wind, and battery storage are meeting it.
According to new data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity demand across the Texas grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) hit record highs in the first nine months of 2025. ERCOT, which supplies power to about 90% of the state, saw demand jump 5% year-over-year to 372 terawatt hours (TWh) – a 23% increase since 2021. No other major US grid has grown faster over the past year.
Solar and wind keep ERCOT’s grid steady
The biggest growth story in Texas power generation is solar. Utility-scale solar plants produced 45 TWh from January through September, up 50% from 2024 and nearly four times what they generated in 2021 (11 TWh). Wind power also continued to climb, producing 87 TWh through September – a 4% increase from last year and 36% more than in 2021.
Together, wind and solar supplied 36% of ERCOT’s total electricity over those nine months. Solar, in particular, has transformed Texas’s daytime energy mix. From June to September, ERCOT solar farms generated an average of 24 gigawatts (GW) between noon and 1 pm – double the midday output from 2023. That growth has pushed down natural gas use at midday from 50% of the mix in 2023 to 37% this year.
Battery storage is filling in the gaps
Batteries charge during the day when wind and solar generation are the highest, and they produce electricity when generation from wind and solar slows down. ERCOT began reporting battery output separately in October 2024 in its hourly grid data, and it’s clear that batteries are now helping to smooth out evening peaks. This past summer, batteries supplied an average of 4 GW of power around 8 pm, right as solar production dropped off.
Natural gas is flatlining
Natural gas is still Texas’s dominant power source, but it isn’t growing like it used to. Between January and September, gas-fired plants generated 158 TWh of electricity, compared to 161 TWh in 2023. Gas comprised 43% of ERCOT’s generation mix during the first nine months of 2025, down from 47% in the first nine months of 2023 and 2024.
More demand growth ahead
The EIA expects Texas electricity demand to keep rising faster than any other grid in the US. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA projects ERCOT’s demand will climb another 14% in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 425 TWh. That means Texas will need even more solar, wind, and battery storage to keep up with its breakneck growth.
Read more: This $900 million solar farm in Texas is going 100% to data centers
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GM is recalling nearly 23,000 Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models due to a defect where the tire tread could fall off.
GM is recalling more Chevy Equinox EV models
In a letter sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM said it has decided to issue a safety recall for certain Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models from model years 2025 to 2026.
This time, it isn’t necessarily GM’s fault. The vehicles may be equipped with 21″ all-season tires that Continental Tire is recalling.
According to Continental, the tires were produced during the week of October 6, 2024, and may have a defect where the tire tread could partially or fully detach. The records show the defect is due to a nonconforming tread base rubber compound.
Owners of affected vehicles may notice unusual tread wear or bulging, vibration while driving, or tire noises. GM is unaware of any incidents related to the defect, but is issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution.
On September 18, 2025, GM inspected the assembly plant and confirmed there were no suspect tires in stock. The 21″ tires come standard on RS trims and are optional on LT1 and LT2 grades.
Although GM is recalling 22,914 Chevy Equinox EVs and Cadillac Optiqs, it estimates that only about 1% of them have the defect.
The recall includes:
- 2026 Cadillac Optiq: 214
- 2026 Chevy Equinox EV: 1,832
- 2025 Cadillac Optiq: 3,468
- 2025 Chevy Equinox EV: 17,400
GM dealers will check all four tires and replace them if needed, free of charge. Dealers were notified on October 16. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out on December 1, 2025.
You can contact Chevrolet’s customer service number at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac’s at 1-800-333-4223. GM’s recall number is N252525030. Owners can also call the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the nhtsa.gov website for more information.
The Chevy Equinox EV is now the third best-selling EV in the US, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. Meanwhile, Cadillac’s entry-level Optiq SUV is the fifth-most-popular luxury EV. The recall is minor and only affects a small percentage of models, so it’s not expected to have a major impact.
If you want to test one of them for yourself, we can help you get started. Check out our links below to find available Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models near you.
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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 Tesla’s earnings madness, Rivian layoffs, Ford pausing F-150 Lightning, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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