Meet Vessev and its ultra-efficient electric hydrofoil boat designed for smooth tourist rides
A new all-electric maritime specialist called Vessev has come out of stealth mode with an exciting new vessel called the VS—9. The electric hydrofoil boat offers a state-of-the-art design that delivers incredible efficiency, providing future tourists with a smooth and quiet ride as Vessev looks to commercialize into larger vessels that can transport 100 passengers at a time.
Vessev, formerly known as Seachange, is a young, eco-friendly boat builder founded a few years ago by two bright minds with backgrounds in innovation, including a tenure at Apple. The company was founded in Auckland, New Zealand, where it currently operates and is conducting sea trials of its flagship vessel—an electric hydrofoil boat called the VS—9.
Designed for commercial operations and tourism, this electric hydrofoil “flies” above the water, offering a new futuristic option in sea travel that will soon be used as a passenger ferry thanks to NetZero Maritime – the green technology team at Fullers360 – New Zealand’s largest ferry operator, who has already signed on to help commercialize the hydrofoil technology.
But that’s not all. Vessev may be young, but it has a clear vision for the future of clean maritime transport, and the VS—9 is merely its starting point for larger electric hydrofoil boats and more scaled deployments. Per Vessev co-founder and CEO Eric Laakmann:
We are in the earliest stage of a global transition to sustainable energy use. Our partnership with NetZero Maritime is one of the most powerful in the world in accelerating the adoption of new technologies. There are 33 million vessels in the world today with sustainable vessels representing the smallest fraction. Through significant enhancements in efficiency, hydrofoiling will play a key role in this once-in-a-generation shift.
Vessev’s entry into cleaning up and potentially revolutionizing the maritime segment begins with the VS—9 electric hydrofoil, which has made its public debut and will soon be certified for commercial operations overseas. Have a look.
Vessev looks to expand to larger electric hydrofoil boats
The maritime developer shared details of its flagship electric hydrofoil boat this week as it came out of stealth mode with some impressive in-house technology, encouraging performance specs, and a detailed plan for its expansion into commercial ferry operations and beyond.
The VS—9 was designed using the same state-of-the-art foiling technology used in the America’s Cup (the oldest international competition still operating in any sport) to maximize efficiency and range by foiling above the water. Vessev shared that its electric hydrofoil boat technology reduces energy consumption by up to 95%.
This technique not only enables the vessel to travel farther on a charge due to less impact from waves and wake but also delivers a smoother ride for passengers. Add the quietness of an all-electric motor, and you get a new breed of boat that feels like the ideal way to travel across water.
The new electric hydrofoil boat offers room for ten passengers and can travel at a service speed of 25 knots (~29 mph). The VS—9 has a range of 50 nautical miles (57 miles/92.6km) and can recharge its batteries at any marina plug. If that area happens to have a DC fast charger, Vessev says the VS—9 can recoup 0.8 nautical miles of range per minute.
The VS—9 is undergoing sea trials out of Auckland, and its initial tests have been encouraging. Laakman explained:
We use techniques similar to America’s Cup vessels which provide very high control authority when compared to other systems. That means we can handle more wind and bigger seas. The system is more difficult to engineer up-front, but results in a very performant vessel that is both more capable and more efficient.
The VS—9 is so efficient that we are able to use very safe and longer-lasting battery technologies when compared to other vessels of this type.
To put it into perspective, the VS—9 is undergoing on-water testing with a petrol-powered chase boat following, doing the same motions and distance. At the end of each day, the cost of the petrol fueling the chase boat is 25 times the cost of the electricity used to charge the VS—9.
Vessev is seeking certification later this year, with commercial operations carried out by Fullers360 in New Zealand thereafter. In addition to the ten-passenger VS—9, Vessev shared that it is already working to scale its technology into larger electric hydrofoil boats, including a new 100-passenger vessel called the VS—18. According to the company, that hydrofoil will have “additional seakeeping capability and unlock even more opportunities.”
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Solar panel giant Qcells announced today that it’s temporarily furloughing 1,000 US workers – 25% of its workforce – and reducing pay and shifts at its factories in northeast Georgia due to supply chain delays caused by US Customs.
Qcells furloughs 1,000 workers
The supply chain delays are hindering the company’s ability to import components to build its solar panels. This has resulted in Qcells’ two factories in Cartersville and Dalton being unable to operate at full capacity for several months.
Qcells spokeswoman Marta Stoepker shared the following statement in an exclusive with Channel 2 Action News in Atlanta:
The company says the furloughed workers, who were notified this afternoon, will retain full benefits and won’t be laid off. However, Qcells will no longer be using staffing agency employees in Georgia “at this time.”
As Qcells introduced new supply chains to support its growing solar panel manufacturing facilities in Georgia, the company was recently forced to scale back production while our shipments into the US were delayed in the customs clearance process.
Although our supply chain operations are beginning to normalize, today we shared with our employees that HR actions must be taken to improve operational efficiency until production capacity returns to normal levels.
Stoepker said it expects to bring the furloughed workers back “in the coming weeks and months.” She continued:
Our commitment to building the entire solar supply chain in the United States remains. We will soon be back on track with the full force of our Georgia team delivering American-made energy to communities around the country.
Electrek’s Take
In January 2023, the Seoul-headquartered Qcells announced it would invest more than $2.5 billion to build a solar supply chain in Georgia – the largest-ever investment in clean energy manufacturing in the US to date. That included expanding the Dalton solar factory and building a fully integrated solar supply chain factory in Cartersville, Georgia, that will manufacture solar ingots, wafers, cells, and finished panels.
It’s not quite there yet, because that takes time. In the meantime, it’s being penalized by Customs. The US government under Trump says it’s keen on boosting domestic manufacturing. Why would it work against a company that’s onshoring an entire solar supply chain, including recycling?
Dalton and Cartersville employ nearly 4,000 people. Its total output will reach 8.4 GW of solar production capacity per year, which is equivalent to nearly 46,000 panels per day – enough to power approximately 1.3 million homes annually.
It’s ludicrous that it has been forced to furlough a quarter of its workforce due to the ineptness of the Trump administration’s US Customs policies. This is right up there with the ICE arrests at Hyundai’s plant in Georgia. Bravo.
Read more: Georgia gives US solar panel manufacturing a big boost with a new factory
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The breakthrough EV batteries Toyota says will double driving range and cut charging times are facing another setback. The company is once again delaying plans for a new battery plant in Japan.
Why is Toyota delaying its EV battery plant this time?
Earlier this year, Toyota bought a 280,000-square-meter plot of land in Fukuoka, Japan, where it planned to build a plant to produce the more advanced EV batteries.
A location agreement was expected to be signed by April, but Toyota pushed back construction by several months, blaming slower-than-expected demand for electric vehicles.
The agreement was expected to be finalized this Fall, but that will no longer be the case. According to Nikkei, Toyota is delaying the EV battery plant for the second time. Toyota will review and adjust plans over the next year.
Fukuoka governor, Seitaro Hattori, confirmed the news with reporters on Friday following a meeting with Toyota’s president, Koji Sato. Hattori also shut down claims that Toyota was planning to scrap the battery plant altogether.
Toyota again blamed slowing EV demand for the delay. The decision comes despite Keiji Kaita, president of Toyota’s Carbon Neutral Advanced Engineering Development Center, confirming at the Japan Mobility Show just last week that it’s “sticking on the schedule” to introduce its first solid-state battery-powered EV by 2028.
Last month, Toyota said it aimed to “achieve the world’s first practical use of all-solid-state batteries in BEVs” after securing a partnership with Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. to mass-produce them. It’s also working with Japanese oil giant Idemitsu.
The company recently revealed a solid-state battery pack prototype that it claims can deliver 747 miles (1,200 km) range and 10-minute fast charging, but will we ever see it actually in production?
Electrek’s Take
Toyota has been making empty promises about EV batteries for almost a decade now. It initially planned to introduce solid-state EV batteries in 2020, then pushed it to 2023, then 2026, and now it’s saying it will be around 2028.
Mass production is likely closer to the end of the decade, if Toyota doesn’t delay it again. While it’s blaming the slowing demand, global EV sales are still on the rise. According to Rho Motion, global EV sales topped 2 million for the first time in a single month in September 2025. Through the first nine months of the year, EV sales are up 26% compared to the same period in 2024.
Even with the US ending the $7,500 federal tax credit and other policies designed to promote electric vehicles, global adoption will continue building momentum over the next few years.
Is it a demand issue, or is Toyota just looking for another excuse? With rivals like Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, BMW, and Honda advancing next-gen EV batteries, Toyota will only fall further behind if it continues delaying key projects.
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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 how Tesla is now Elon’s after the shareholders’ meeting, Xpeng going all-in on AI, Rivian’s earnings, and more.
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