These were the biggest electric boat stories of the year, and it’s surprising
Here at Electrek, I’ve had the pleasure of covering some fascinating electric boat news stories. In just the past year, we’ve seen everything from high-power electric speed boats and pleasure cruisers to efficient flying electric ferries. But when it comes to the most popular electric boat news stories of the year – the ones that our readers were most interested in – the results might surprise you.
The two biggest themes in the most popular electric boat articles were “small” and “odd”. While the big flashy electric boats are interesting, it appears that the smaller models, as well as the more outlandish designs, proved to be crowd favorites.
Mercury unveils new electric outboard motors
Right at the beginning of 2023, Mercury started out the year strong by unveiling a new series of lightweight outboard motors for small watercraft. The Avator line began with the Avator 7.5e, a modest motor with just 750W of output and swappable batteries that could be carried on board like a little red fuel can of the future.
The unit was unveiled as an all-in-one propulsion package that included the motor, battery, and electronics in a self-contained system. It was designed for small watercraft that accept transom-mount outboards.
Interestingly, despite offering just one horsepower, Mercury explained that the motor performs closer to a Mercury 3.5hp FourStroke outboard with comparable speed and acceleration figures. That’s due to the higher performance possible from an electric drivetrain, even with a lower total power output.
And of course, that’s not to mention all of the other advantages, like silent operation, reduced maintenance, no exhaust fumes, and no vibrations.
Veer X13 launched as new, low-cost electric boat
As if on cue, the Avator 7.5e electric outboard motor made its near-simultaneous debut on a new small electric boat, the Veer X13.
Veer was founded as a sister company to Mercury, so it made sense to use it as a launch platform for the new electric outboard.
With seating for two on this 13-foot boat, it was designed to be a great fishing or recreational platform for boaters who wanted to explore their waterways, similar to the way a kayak can access places that larger boats can’t reach.
It was also intended to be ideal for new boaters, offering a simple package that even included a trailer in the price. The boat started at around US $11,100 for the gasoline-powered version, though you had to pony up $2,000 more for the electric model. When compared to listening to that little gas engine all day though (and paying to keep it operational), the electric version seemed like a very small premium to pay for comfort and convenience.
So the first two biggest electric boat stories of the year focused on small format e-boats and e-motors. From here though, things are about to take a weird turn.
Prepare yourself for what’s come.
I bought a $1,000 electric boat from China
This was by far our biggest electric boat story of the year, and it involved my own personal adventure of buying the cheapest five-seater fiberglass boat I could find.
I happened to find it on Alibaba, which meant I had to have it shipped halfway around the world to my parents’ home in Florida (where waterways are abundant and ever-present).
Believe it or not, the boat was actually pretty nice. Yes, the fiberglass wasn’t beautiful, and the meek motor only gave me around 2-3 knots of speed (perhaps with a slight tailwind). Oh, and the propellor was around 25% out of the water. But it worked fairly well, otherwise.
And it’s going to serve as a fun platform for modifications. I already have a much bigger motor that I bought used on Craigslist to replace the small inboard electric motor, and I plan on adding solar panels to keep it charged without needing shore power.
So stay tuned, because this particular story has just begun.
This half-submerged electric houseboat may be the best tiny home ever
Things get even weirder with this one, and they may even get wetter – at least if something goes wrong. I found this half-submerged electric houseboat online while perusing Alibaba for strange electric boats. I think this fits the bill.
I’m not sure it technically exists since the vendor is only showing off renderings, but I really hope there’s at least one of these out there somewhere… and that it’s not as the bottom of a lake.
The houseboat has a bedroom below the waterline, complete with large windows for a great 360 view. Up on the 02 deck sits the living room and kitchenette, again with a great panoramic view.
The living room seems to open up into a swim deck, but whether or not you’d actually want to go swimming might depend on your local waters. As our graphics guy decided, we seem to have an infestation of Great White sharks in the Electrek waters, so I think I’ll be keeping my shorts dry for now.
Low-cost one-seater mini electric jet boat puts big thrills in a tiny package
Just like the houseboat above, this one-seater mini electric jet boat popped up on my radar while I was looking through the Alibaba electric boat catalog.
But unlike the houseboat above, I know this one is actually in production because there are videos of it working!
The tiny little jet boat is basically the inner workings of an electric Jet Ski that are somehow mashed into the tiniest little boat hull you’ve ever seen.
That results in an awesome-looking electric jet boat with just enough room for one daredevil pilot at the yoke.
This mini electric jet boat measures just 1.8 meters (5 feet 11 inches) long, yet it packs in enough power to hit speeds of up to 48 km/h (30 mph) thanks to a 15 kW (20 hp) electric motor.
What’s coming next year?
If this year was any indication, flashy high-tech electric boats are interesting but smaller and perhaps weirder electric boats really bring out people’s fascination.
What could that mean for 2024 upcoming electric boat offerings? I guess you’ll have to keep coming back to Electrek to find out!
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
On today’s fact-checking episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got a showdown brewing between California Governor Gavin Newsom and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, an updated 650 hp Kia EV6 GT that’s ready to take on the world, and some sweet deals on battery-powered goodies.
We’ve also got new electric buses at UCLA that are powered by inductive current in the road itself, and a massive new solar project on a site more famous for coal than clean. All this and a little bit of fact-checking on some fresh musky nonsense – enjoy!
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Learn more at this link.
Source Links
Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news!
Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!
Read more: E-quipment highlight | Palfinger FLS 25 eDRIVE truck mounted forklift.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
![Dodge Charger EV is even cheaper to finance than the gas model with 0% APR [Update]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/08/Dodge-Charger-EV-prices-1.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The world’s first electric muscle car is finally here, and Dodge is already sweetening the deal for buyers. The Dodge Charger Daytona EV is launching with 0% APR, making it even cheaper to finance than the outgoing gas-powered model. Lease prices for the electric Charger start as low as $549 per month, but the Hellcat-like Scat Pack model may be an even better deal.
Dodge Charger EV launches with 0% APR offer
The first all-electric Dodge Charger has arrived, and surprisingly, it’s already becoming more affordable. In March, Dodge unveiled the Charger Daytona EV, kicking off “the next generation of Dodge muscle.”
According to Dodge brand CEO Tim Kuniskis, the electric Charger “delivers Hellcat Redeye levels of performance.” That’s for the Scat Pack model, which comes with a Direct Connection Stage 2 upgrade kit straight from the factory.
The upgrade delivers up to 670 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 3.3 seconds. It can also cover a quarter mile in around 11.5 seconds.
In comparison, the 807 hp Dodge Charger SRT Redeye Jailbreak edition, powered by a Supercharged 6.2L HEMI SRT V8 engine, takes 3.6 seconds to get from 0 to 60 mph.
With a Stage 1 upgrade, the base R/T trim has up to 456 hp and 404 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0 to 60 mph time in 4.7 seconds.
Dodge opened orders for the 2024 Charger Daytona EV in September, starting at $59,995. The High-performance Scat Pack trim starts at $73,190.
According to a new dealer note viewed by online auto research firm CarsDirect, all 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV models are now eligible for 0% APR financing for up to 72 months.
| 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV trim | Horsepower | 0 to 60 mph time | Starting price |
| Dodge Charger Daytona R/T | 496 hp | 4.7 seconds | $59,995 |
| Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack | 670 hp | 3.3 seconds | $73,190 |
The offer makes the electric Dodge charger even cheaper to finance than the outgoing 2023 Dodge Charger at 5.9% APR for the same 72 months. However, this is an individual offer and cannot be combined with other deals. Based on CarsDirect analysis, the 0% APR offer is limited to the Northeast, Southern, and Central US regions.
Dodge is also offering a $1,000 loyalty bonus for Stellantis (Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Chrysler) lessees that trade in for the electric Charger.
Update 11/26/24: The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV launches with lease prices starting at $549 for 36 months. With $4,999 due at signing, the effective rate is $688 per month (10,000 miles per year).
Although it may not seem cheap, it’s a pretty good deal for a $60,000 electric muscle car. According to CarsDirect analysis, the outgoing Challenger R/T has an effective cost of at least $853 per month. And that’s with an MSRP of just $43,235. The EV model is nearly $20,000 more on paper but significantly less to lease than the aging 2023 model.
Meanwhile, the Scat Pack model may be an even better deal. With a lease money factor as low as 0.00006 on a 24-month lease, the Scat Pack trim is surprisingly lower than the lease rate of 0.00027 for the base R/T model.
It also has a higher residual value. On a 24-month lease, the Scat Pack trim has a 59% residual compared to the R/T’s 54%. With both trims eligible for a $7,500 lease incentive, the high-performance model could be an even better deal.
With the $7,500 EV tax credit incentive, eligible customers can save up to $8,500 on the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV. You may want to act fast, as these deals expire on December 2, 2024.
Jeep, another Stellantis brand, launched lease prices at just $599 per month for its first luxury electric SUV last week, the Wagoneer S. Jeep’s electric Wagoneer is also available with 0% financing.
Ready to check out the world’s first electric muscle car for yourself? We can help you get started today. You use our link to find deals on 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona models at a dealer near you.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
During the first three quarters of 2024, renewables increased their output by almost 9% year-over-year, and solar is still leading the charge, reports the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Solar’s massive growth
According to the EIA’s “Electric Power Monthly” report, which includes data through September 2024, solar power generation (including both utility-scale and rooftop installations) shot up by 25.9% compared to the first nine months of 2023.
Utility-scale solar grew even faster – up 30.1% – while small-scale solar (mostly rooftop) increased by 16.2%. Combined, solar contributed more than 7% of the total electricity generated in the US so far this year.
Zooming in on September, utility-scale solar generation grew by a whopping 29% compared to September 2023, and rooftop solar climbed by 14.2%. Combined, solar generated 7.5% of the nation’s electricity that month.
Small-scale solar made up nearly 30% of all solar generation from January to September and provided 2% of the country’s electricity. Interestingly, small-scale solar is now producing almost double the electricity of utility-scale biomass, and over five times that of either geothermal or petroleum-based power.
Wind and renewables mix
Wind power also saw strong growth so far this year. From January to September, wind output was up 6.6% compared to last year. Wind still holds the top spot among renewables, making up 9.9% of US electricity generation in the first nine months of 2024.
The combined contribution of wind and solar provided 17% of the US’s electricity for the first three-quarters of 2024. Altogether, renewables – including wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal – supplied 24% of US electricity in that period, compared to 22.8% during the same time last year.
The numbers show that renewables are growing much faster than traditional energy sources. For example, in the first nine months of 2024, renewables grew by 8.6%, which is more than double the growth rate of natural gas (4.1%) and almost seven times that of nuclear (1.3%). Even in September alone, renewable power generation was up 7.9% compared to September 2023, making up 21.3% of total electricity generation that month.
Other notable trends
From January to September, wind generated 76.4% more electricity than hydropower, and solar surpassed hydropower by 27.2%. In September alone, wind and solar produced 73.5% and 65.9% more electricity, respectively, than hydropower, due to drought conditions, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.
For the first nine months of 2024, wind and solar together produced 14.5% more electricity than coal and came close to catching up with nuclear power’s share of electricity generation (17% compared to nuclear’s 17.6%). This growth has solidified renewables’ place as the second-largest source of electricity generation in the US, behind natural gas.
Ken Bossong, executive director of the SUN DAY Campaign, which reviewed the EIA’s data, put it simply: “Renewable energy sources now account for a quarter of the nation’s electricity. Any attempt by the incoming Trump Administration to undermine renewables would have serious negative impacts on both the country’s electricity supply and the economy.”
Read more: US solar and wind growth defies expectations – a decade in numbers
To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to 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 you 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.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports8 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 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
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway