Navalt is bringing sustainability to the waters of India with solar electric boats that go over 200 km
A sustainable marine mobility developer called Navalt is making a quick impact on a huge part of Asia. It is rolling out some of India’s largest and most efficient solar electric boats on the water. From ferries to water taxis and even yachts, Navalt is doing a little bit of everything.
Navalt was founded in 2013 and is currently headquartered in Kochi, India, where it has tasked itself with delivering eco-marine tech like solar electric boats to the country’s tremendous population and utilizes its staff’s combined 82 vessel years of experience.
The company’s flagship solar-electric boat, “Aditya,” was India’s first solar ferry and was named the world’s best ferry in 2020 as the recipient of the Gustave Trouvé Award. In 2022, Navalt’s “Srav” solar fishing boat won the world’s best work boat award.
In 2023, the company launched India’s largest solar electric boat, “Indra” and the country’s fastest electric boat, “Barracuda.” Navalt currently has twenty-nine vessels in operation and another 34 under construction, set to hit the water before the end of 2024.
Most recently, Navalt launched its fourth solar electric boat, “The Origin,” in Punjab, and shows no signs of slowing down in this relatively nascent segment of marine mobility.
Navalt continues to roll out solar electric boats in India
With the recent launch of The Origin, Navalt is continuing to bring more solar electric boat technology to India, a region known for its incredible culture but also for its pollution due to its dense population.
Sukhna Lake has become a welcomed home to Navalt’s solar electric boats, as it now has four ferries in operation. In addition to The Origin, the company also delivered “The Marsel,” Navalt describes as “the epitome of luxury.”
This 30-passenger vessel is equipped with a 25 kWh battery and powered by two 6 kW motors. It can reach a top speed of 7 knots (8 mph) and travel 45 km (28 miles) on a single charge. If those specs don’t blow you away, Navalt builds solar electric boats that can go much farther.
For instance, its ten-passenger “Nirva” boat can go 200 km (124 miles), its massive 120-passenger “Vega” model can go 225 km (140 miles), and its 12-person “Bumblebee” electric boat can go 250 km (155 miles) and reach a top speed of 25 knots (~29 mph).
The India-based company develops and implements its own electric propulsion technology on its solar boats, including its Mako motors and Manta energy storage system.
This is the technology we like to see being utilized worldwide, and Navalt is a company to keep an eye on as its portfolio continues to grow.
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Environment
Baidu- and Geely-backed JiYue brand unveils ROBO X EV that goes 0-100 km/h in under 1.9 sec
JiYue, a Chinese EV brand focused on delivering all-electric “robocars” to the masses, has unveiled its latest model, and it’s quite a deviation from its previous EVs—but in the best way. Earlier today, JiYue launched the ROBO X supercar, designed for high-speed racing. By high speed, we mean 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 1.9 seconds. My mouth is watering.
JiYue has only existed since 2021, when parent tech company Baidu announced it was expanding from software development into physical EV production, joining forces with multinational automotive manufacturer Geely.
The new “robotic EV” marque initially launched as JIDU with $300 million in startup capital before garnering an additional $400 million in Series A funding, led by Baidu, in January 2022.
In August 2023, Geely took on a larger role in JIDU alongside a greater financial stake as the brand reimagined itself as JiYue, inheriting the JIDU logo and its flagship model, the 01 ROBOCAR.
In December 2023, Baidu and Geely unveiled a second model called the JiYue 07. It was born from JIDU’s ROBO-02 concept, which debuted in 2023 and was designed to compete against the Tesla Model 3 in China.
The 07 finally launched in China earlier this year with 545 miles of range. With an all-electric SUV and sedan on the market, JiYue has unveiled an exciting new entry in the form of a performance supercar called the ROBO X. Check it out:
JiYue’s new ROBO X EV is available for pre-order now
JiYue showcased its new ROBO X hypercar in front of the crowd at the 2024 Guangzhou Auto Show earlier today. Similar to previous models but with a unique spin, JiYue described the ROBO X as an AI smart-driving supercar that, for the first time, blends artificial intelligence and autonomous driving into a high-performance, race-ready EV.
When we say “high performance,” we mean a quad motor liquid-cooled drive system that can propel the ROBO X from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in under 1.9 seconds. JiYue called the new ROBO X a “performance beast” with “the perfect balance of excellent aerodynamic performance and high downforce.” JiYue CEO Joe Xia was even bolder in his statements about the ROBO X:
For the next 20 years, the design of supercars will bear the shadow of Robo X. This is the best design in the history of Chinese automobiles today, and it is a landmark presence.
Fighter-style airflow ducts bolster the EV’s aerodynamics, efficiency, and overall posture. Per JiYue, the two-seater ROBO X is expected to deliver a maximum range of over 650 km (404 miles).
The new supercar features falcon-wing doors, a carbon fiber integrated frame, and a professional racing HALO safety system offering 360° of support. The interior features an AI smart cockpit with SIMO real-time feedback to give drivers an immersive racing experience.
Furthermore, JiYue said the vehicle will utilize parent company Baidu’s Apollo self-driving technology, which could make it the first electric supercar to apply pure-vision ADAS technology that enables track-level autonomous driving.
Following today’s unveiling of the ROBO X, JiYue has officially opened up pre-orders in China for RMB 49,999 ($6,915). That said, reservation holders will need to be patient as JiYue shared that it doesn’t expect to begin mass production of the ROBO X until 2027.
What do you think? Will people be talking about the ROBO X for the next 20 years?
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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes the launch of the Lectric XPedition 2.0, Yamaha e-bikes pulling out of North America, LiveWire unveils an electric scooter concept, PNY readying its cargo e-scooters for pilot testing, Royal Enfield’s first electric motorcycle, and more.
The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
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, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We also have a Patreon if you want to help us to 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 Wheel-E podcast today:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 9:30 a.m. ET (or the video after 10:30 a.m. ET):
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Crude oil futures were on pace Friday for loss for the week, as a supply gut and a strong dollar depresses the market.
U.S. crude oil is down more than 2% this week, while Brent has shed nearly 2%.
Here are Friday’s energy prices:
- West Texas Intermediate December contract: $68.56 per barrel, down 14 cents, or 0.2%. Year to date, U.S. crude oil has shed about 4%.
- Brent January contract: $72.36 per barrel, down 20 cents, or 0.28%. Year to date, the global benchmark has lost nearly 6%.
- RBOB Gasoline December contract: $1.99 per gallon, up 0.46%. Year to date, gasoline has fallen more than 1%.
- Natural Gas December contract: $2.70 per thousand cubic feet, down 2.98%. Year to date, gas has gained more than 4%.
The International Energy Agency has forecast a surplus of more than 1 million barrels per day in 2025 on robust production in the U.S. OPEC revised down its demand forecast for the fourth consecutive month as demand in China remains soft.
A strong dollar also hangs over the market, as the greenback has surged in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory.
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