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After seven years of research and development, Slovenian shipyard EJET has achieved one of the first goals the company was founded upon – create an electric jet tender that outperforms its combustion-dependent competitors. Today, EJET has brought its 4X high performance electric jet tender to market as it puts the finishing touches on its next electric boat, which is even larger.

EJET was founded in Slovenia in 2016 with the goal of building all-electric tenders that meet the company’s three pillars: driver experience, sustainability, and pushing the boundaries of the industry using state-of-the-art technology.

The culmination of this young company’s work and development rests of the 4X tender – EJET’s flagship vessel it describes as a “world’s first” in high performance electric jet tenders designed to support superyachts.

While we’ve covered our fair share of solar electric yachts on Electrek, the larger ones – especially those worthy of the title “superyacht,” are still mostly reliant on diesel engines – but that doesn’t mean their tenders can’t be electric. Better yet, they can now outperform gas-powered versions without all the noise, vibrations, and nasty emissions out at sea.

From prototype, through testing, and now into the electric boat market, EJET’s 4X is available for sale and is delivering some impressive specs for such a small vessel. Have a look.

EJET’s new electric tender boasts 60 kW of power

Small but mighty, EJET’s 4X electric jet tender is packing some power, hence why the company is calling it a high performance model (I bet yacht owners are gonna eat that up). The 60 kW of continuous electric power from the 4X’s powertrain enables a top speed of 35 knots (40 mph). EJET CEO Žiga Jarc spoke to the challenges the company faced in developing a high performance jet tender that is also electric:

When it comes to electric boating, most often, people turn to the automotive industry for inspiration. But we quickly realized that this approach comes with limitations. A boat, being on the water, presents a completely different challenge. The density of water is 830 times higher than that of air, which means it’s like constantly climbing uphill. This led to a host of problems that demanded a different approach and exploring uncharted options.

Our aim was to engineer a system that delivers exceptional performance, requiring minimum maintenance, safe and always ready for getting in the water.

The electric tender’s custom powertrain is managed by an electronic control unit (ECU), optioning three different efficiency modes selectable on the 7-inch touchscreen seen in the images above: Eco, Normal, and Power. If the tender’s battery ever gets too low, the 4X will automatically switch to Eco mode to help conserve battery while its passengers navigate to the mothership or a nearby shore.

The 4X is equipped with a 46.2 kWh battery pack that offers up to 40 nautical miles (45 miles) of all-electric range on a single charge. The electric tender can replenish itself in eight hours via AC charging, or four hours on a DC fast charger. So what does a 4-meter, high performance electric tender cost? About $113,000 (100,000 euros).

EJET shared that each of its production slots of the 4X are already sold out for 2023, but customers can still place an order to ensure they get their electric jet tender for next summer. With the 4X successfully on the market, EJET says it is honing it focus on bringing its 9X electric tender to market next. It is expected to “launch” on waters in early 2024 and make debuts at boat shows later next year.

Additionally, the company says it is already prepping to expand its production capacity in 2024, making way for not only the 9X, but a 7-meter electric jet tender to complete the range. You can learn a bit more about the company and see the 4X (which looks like the prototype) in the launch video below:

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Archer Aviation is planning an air taxi network around the Miami metro area including airports

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Archer Aviation is planning an air taxi network around the Miami metro area including airports

Archer Aviation has announced partnerships in the Miami metropolitan area to establish a new air taxi network to support travelers around several key areas in Southern Florida, including local airports.

As you probably alrready know at this point. Archer Aviation ($ACHR) is a California-based developer of eVTOL and eCTOL aircraft that it continues to work toward implementing into commercial air taxi rides in the future. The plans for its network of sustainable aircraft have expanded to cities like New York and Chicago, as well as other countries like Japan and the United Arab Emirates.

In California, south of its headquarters, Archer intends to take to the skies above Los Angeles with a proposed air taxi network announced in August 2024. Building upon that network, Archer shared earlier this year that it had become the exclusive air taxi provider of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

On the other southern coast of the United States, Archer is planning another exciting air taxi network that includes the option of quiet, sustainable air travel around Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and several other key landmarks.

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Air taxi Miami
Source: Archer Aviation

Archer partners up to establish Miami air taxi network

Archer Aviation shared details of its new air taxi network plans for Miami in a press release early this morning. If and when it comes to friuition, the proposed air taxi network will be a result of several new partnerships established by Archer in the Miami metropolitan area.

Some of those partnerships include real estate company Related Ross, Apogee Golf Club, Hard Rock Stadium – where existing heliports will be configured for eVTOLs and/or new air taxi vertiports will be erected. Stephen Ross, CEO and Chairman of Related Ross and Owner of the Miami Dolphins:

Our partnership with Archer marks a pivotal step in expanding South Florida’s regional connectivity through cutting-edge technology. We are integrating Archer’s electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft into our flagship locations across South Florida, including the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Related Ross developments in West Palm Beach, and Apogee Club in Hobe Sound. We’re excited to embrace a forward-thinking vision that transforms how people and businesses move across the region.

According to Archer, the new air taxi network will connect passengers to populated areas around Miami Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, offering 10 to 20 minute flights. Plans also include easier travel to major airports around Southern Florida, including Miami International Airport (MIA), Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL), and Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), plus several general aviation airports. Miami Mayor, Francis Suarez, also spoke:

Miami has never been afraid to bet on the future. We’re a city that attracts visionaries, embraces breakthrough technology, and turns bold ideas into real impact. For years, I’ve worked with Archer as they’ve advanced a vision for an air-taxi network that will elevate Miami’s position as a global capital for innovation and mobility. What they’re building isn’t just transformational transportation, it embodies the Miami mindset: we lead, we innovate, and we redefine what’s possible.

Archer did not share a timeline on when this air taxi network may be operational around Miami, but we’d wager it’s still at least a couple of years away given the need for additional eVTOl development and FAA certifications in order to begin commercial operations in the US.

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Germany’s largest offshore wind farm fires up its first turbine

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Germany’s largest offshore wind farm fires up its first turbine

Germany’s largest offshore wind farm hit a big milestone: The first turbine at EnBW’s He Dreiht project has produced its first kilowatt-hour of electricity and sent it into the grid.

More turbines are expected to come online over the coming weeks. European energy provider EnBW has already installed 27 of the wind farm’s 64 turbines, all of which are scheduled to be commissioned by summer 2026.

Peter Heydecker, EnBW board member for Sustainable Generation Infrastructure, described the November 25 milestone as a “significant moment for EnBW.” With 960 megawatts (MW) of total capacity, He Dreiht is now Germany’s largest offshore wind farm.

Vestas supplied the 15 MW turbines, marking their world debut. Nils de Baar, president of Vestas Northern and Central Europe, said the giant turbine’s technology sets a new standard for offshore wind. “Its efficiency and performance enable a significant increase in energy yield per turbine.”

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Just one rotation of the 15 MW turbine’s rotor can power the equivalent of four households for a day. The hub stands 142 meters (466 feet) tall, and the rotor’s 236-meter (774-foot) diameter sweeps a 43,742-square-meter (10.8-acre) area — roughly the size of six football fields. To put the scale into perspective, EnBW’s first offshore project, Baltic 1 in 2010, used 2.3 MW turbines.

EnBW wrapped up the wind farm’s internal cabling in August. Those lines connect all the turbines and feed into a converter platform operated by transmission system operator TenneT. That’s where the power is collected, converted from AC to DC, and sent to shore through two high-voltage DC cables.

Once complete, He Dreiht will generate enough electricity to power about 1.1 million households. The project is being built without state funding and sits roughly 85 kilometers (53 miles) northwest of Borkum and 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of Heligoland. EnBW’s offshore office in Hamburg is coordinating the build.

A partner group made up of Allianz Capital Partners, AIP, and Norges Bank Investment Management owns 49.9% of the project. Total investment comes in at around €2.4 billion.

Read more: China’s surge pushes global wind toward fastest growth ever


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BYD tried crushing its $180K luxury SUV with a 2-ton tree and it barely left a mark [Video]

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BYD tried crushing its $180K luxury SUV with a 2-ton tree and it barely left a mark [Video]

The Yangwang U8L is among the most expensive Chinese vehicles, starting at about $180,000. To prove it’s built for just about anything, BYD dropped a 2-ton tree on it, three times, and the ultra-luxury pretty much brushed it off.

BYD drops a tree on its ultra-luxury SUV during testing

BYD launched the Yangwang U8L in September, a long-wheelbase version of the U8 off-road SUV. The U8 was first introduced in September 2023 as the first vehicle from BYD’s ultra-luxury sub-brand, Yangwang.

Yangwang is a new energy vehicle (NEV) brand that sells high-end plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and 100% battery electric (BEV) vehicles as BYD expands into new segments.

The U8L is Yangwang’s fourth vehicle, following the U8, U9, and U7. It’s available in China with a quad-motor extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) system, delivering a CLTC range of 200 km (124 miles) on battery power alone.

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A 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine serves as a generator, delivering a combined CLTC range of 1,160 km (720 miles).

Measuring 5,400 mm in length, 2,049 mm in width, and 1,921 mm in height, the Yangwang U8L is even bigger than the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Range Rover Long Wheelbase.

BYD-luxury-SUV-tree-drop

BYD’s ultra-luxury SUV is priced from 1.28 million yuan ($180,000), making it one of the most expensive models from a Chinese brand.

It may look pretty, but the Yangwang U8L is built for far more than just good looks. Like the U8, the long-wheelbase version is equipped with advanced features such as emergency float mode, which allows it to float on water for up to 30 minutes, tank turns, crab walking, and more.

To prove its durability, BYD engineers put the luxury SUV through the paces, dropping a massive 2-ton tree on it, not once, but three times.

During the final drop, the company said the maximum impact energy reached 50.4 kJ, or about 37,200 lb-ft. After three consecutive drops, the Yangwang U8L barely even got a scratch. The body structure remained intact, the door still opened, the columns didn’t bend, and the vehicle could even drive like normal.

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