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!
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Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.
Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.
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. Click here to learn more.
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Read more: All my favorite EVs, racecars, and robots from Electrify Expo Austin.
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Chevy EV owners in Texas who have Reliant as their electric utility can now charge for free at night with renewable energy.
Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships across Texas are now offering the Reliant Free Charge Nights plan to new EV buyers. With Free Charge Nights, customers can offset their charging costs by receiving credits for electricity used between 11 pm and 6 am. The plan is powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Rasesh Patel, president of NRG Consumer, says the plan is about making power personal: “We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan.”
This collaboration aims to make EV adoption more appealing by making charging cheaper and greener. GM Energy’s chief revenue officer, Aseem Kapur, emphasized that partnerships like this help build the ecosystem needed to support an all-electric future: “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to make EV adoption an easy decision.”
Existing Reliant customers can also sign up for the Free Charge Nights plan. To get started, Chevrolet EV owners need to designate their vehicle on the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before enrolling in the plan.
Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, serves over 1.5 million customers in Texas, making it one of the largest electricity providers in the state.
Read more: Texas to get 1 GW AI-powered virtual power plant, enough to power 200,000 homes
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Texas is about to get a major power boost – a new AI-powered virtual power plant (VPP) delivering capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand.
NRG Energy is teaming up with Renew Home to bring nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity to the Texas grid by 2035, aiming to make it more resilient while helping residents save on energy costs.
The new VPP will rely on hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats and other connected home devices, making use of AI technology provided by Google Cloud. These devices, like Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, will be offered to eligible customers at no cost. By automating HVAC adjustments, they help shift energy use to when electricity is cheaper, cleaner, and less strained.
NRG and Renew Home have big plans for the VPP. Starting in spring 2025, the companies plan to roll out the program across Texas, installing these smart thermostats in homes served by NRG’s retail electricity providers. Eventually, they plan to add home battery storage and EVs to expand the power plant’s capabilities.
Texas has faced record-breaking energy demands, with peak usage hitting 85 GW in 2023. As the state’s population grows and extreme weather becomes more frequent, VPPs like this one could play a key role in stabilizing the grid. VPPs aggregate a lot of small-scale energy resources, from smart thermostats to home batteries, and use them to help balance supply and demand during times of high stress on the grid.
This nearly 1 GW VPP will be one of the largest of its kind in Texas. NRG’s president of consumer operations, Rasesh Patel, calls it a “pivotal step” for improving customer experience while making Texas’ energy infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.
In addition to Renew Home, NRG is working with Google Cloud to maximize the power plant’s effectiveness. Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools will help predict weather conditions, forecast renewable generation, and optimize energy usage, all of which will help make energy management smoother for both customers and the grid.
Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home, said:
NRG’s commitment to creating a more resilient and sustainable energy future while also making electricity bills more affordable makes them an ideal partner for co-developing this unique VPP program.
This initiative raises the bar for future-proofing our electricity infrastructure and delivering cost savings to customers.
Read: Chinese solar giant Trina sells its Texas factory a week after it opens
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*
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