Exclusive: Former Tesla exec unveils slick-looking solar-powered electric speedboat
Electric boating is quickly becoming a fascinating industry with a growing list of players offering high-tech watercraft. The latest high-performance electric speedboat planning to hit the waters is the R30 from Blue Innovations Group (BIG).
BIG was founded by Tesla’s former head of global manufacturing John Vo. He ran Tesla’s manufacturing from 2011 to 2017 and knows a thing or two about building electric vehicles, though boats are certainly new territory for Vo.
We spoke about the growing electric watercraft industry, and Vo described to me why the time is ripe for a revolution in boating. “Ten years ago, starting an electric car company made sense. But now it is established,” explained Vo. “But electric boats on the other hand are a no-brainer. I want to bring a revolution to the industry.”
The R30, he believes, is the kind of revolution that could help clean up boating. That’s why the company’s goal isn’t to hand-build just a few expensive luxury boats. “To really impact the environment, you can’t build electric boats by the dozens. It has to be by the thousands.”
Vo hopes to reach that volume by designing the 30-foot electric cabin cruiser for mass production utilizing automotive manufacturing techniques. Part of that plan involves eschewing typical boat manufacturing methods such as fiberglass or carbon fiber in favor of an aluminum hull as well as using a battery that is structurally integrated as part of the boat’s frame.
Longevity is also part of the plan. Vo’s aluminum construction allows him to offer a lifetime guarantee on the hull. Opting for lithium iron phosphate instead of traditional NMC or NCA lithium-ion batteries also allows him to more than double the lifespan of the battery. “So it’s a little bit bigger of a battery with slightly lower energy density,” he mused. “I have the space – it’s a boat.”
The downside of the aluminum design is that it complicates tooling, something that the boat’s designers are still working on solving. They’ve got time, though not too terribly much of it. BIG has an aggressive schedule ahead of it. They’ll debut a prototype at CES early next month using a prototype hull. That prototype will become an alpha model for testing by February of 2023, followed by four beta models to be produced by October of 2023. By Q2 2024, BIG expects to be delivering R30 boats to reservation holders.
Speaking of those reservation holders, you can already hop in line for an R30. It’s not cheap with an expected price of US $300,000, but that’s in the ballpark of other high-end electric boats hitting the market soon. It’s also not far off of the price of gas-powered luxury boats these days. Even if the $300K price tag fits the current market, Vo fully expects that price to drop as mass production enables cost reductions.
And to be fair, the R30 looks to be squarely in the luxury column. Vo described it as a connected oasis with versatility allowing it to be used within the confines of a healthy work/life balance. Take a Zoom call in the comfort of the sofa in the cabin, then return up top to go fishing on the walkaround bow. Or if fishing isn’t your thing, just lay out on the sun bed. For those that prefer to get wet, foldout swim platforms on three sides of the stern will make it easy to enter and exit the water.
And if it’s shade you’re after, the hardtop does double duty by blocking the sun and also turning those rays into usable energy. Extendable solar panels fold out from the main canopy to provide up to 2.7 kW of solar power for recharging the boat’s massive liquid-cooled 221 kWh battery. At that rate you could run the battery nearly empty each weekend and come back at the end of the week to a fully-charged battery. Of course you could also just charge it up using shore power at the dock, but where’s the fun in that? And having an infinite supply of electricity above our heads sure makes for a nice way to recharge while bobbing around out on the water.
Considering that many power boats aren’t actually used everyday (or even multiple times during the week), the R30 stands to become a net zero boat for many users, meaning it would independently generate all the energy it needs to operate.
With a maximum speed of around 39 knots (45 mph or 72 km/h) from a pair of motors creating a combined 800 hp (600 kW), the R30 provides some serious performance to match its slick design. In fact, that’s more than 50% more powerful than the previous ‘highest-powered electric speedboat’ title claimed by Arc.
And a former Tesla executive isn’t going to build an electric boat without a slick design to match. From the spacious below-deck cabin with versatile bed/table arrangement (flip the table upside to turn it into a large mattress) the large dual-screen console complete with Tesla-style yoke steering wheel, the R30 doesn’t seem to miss a beat on style.
What do you think of the Blue Innovation Group’s R30 electric powerboat?
Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Environment
Eve Energy rolls solid-state batteries off new assembly line to power humanoids, flying cars
What a headline and what a future evolving before our eyes. Chinese battery expert EVE Energy inaugurated a new production base yesterday, and to celebrate the feat, rolled one of its new all-solid-state batteries off the production line.
EVE Energy Co., Ltd. is a Chinese battery manufacturer approaching 25 years in the industry. It develops, manufactures, and delivers lithium-ion batteries and energy storage systems to OEMs around the world.
The company’s current production footprint includes facilities in at least four regions of China, in addition to a plant in Malaysia and Hungary. In 2021, EVE shared plans to erect a new lithium-ion battery research and development center and manufacturing plant in Chengdu, in the Sichuan region of southwest China.
Since then, EVE Energy has made impressive strides beyond traditional lithium-ion cells and into highly coveted all-solid-state technology. Yesterday, EVE Energy officially opened its new solid-state battery production base in Chengdu and even produced one of its new “Longquan II” cells (pictured above).
EVE to build 500k solid-state cells per year in Chengdu
EVE Energy shared details of yesterday’s solid-state production base inauguration in a release today. The new 11,000-square-meter (118,400-square-foot) facility in Chengdu is officially open, but will continue development and expansion through 2026.
As initially announced in 2021, EVE Energy’s Chengdu facility will be constructed in two phases – the first of which is expected to be completed in December. Phase one will offer the capacity to manufacture 60-Ah batteries and EVE’s “Longquan II” solid-state cells – the first of which rolled off the production line yesterday.
The Longquan II is a 10-Ah all-solid-state cell with an energy density of up to 300 Wh/kg. Per EVE Energy, mass production of these ultra-dense cells will eventually power humanoid robots, uncrewed aerial vehicles, and AI equipment.
At its new Chengdu base, EVE has already vowed to fully commit funding, equipment, and R&D resources to achieve an energy density of 400 Wh/kg by 2025. The company also stated that this week’s production launch of the Longquan series “marks a crucial step forward for Eve Energy in solid-state battery industrialization.”
Following phase one’s completion by year’s end, EVE said phase two will bolster the facility’s annual production capacity to 500,000 cells, equating to 100 MWh by December 2026.
There was no mention of any specific solid-state cells developed for electric vehicles. Still, EVE Energy is inching toward mass production of the technology while producing higher energy densities to support automotive OEMs, perhaps one day.
Last year, Zhao Ruirui, executive vice president of EVE Energy’s research institute, shared plans to launch all-solid-state batteries for Chinese passenger cars in 2026, beginning with hybrid EVs.
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It’s official. Volkswagen is shaking up its EV naming strategy. After confirming the ID.2 will launch as the ID.Polo, Volkswagen promises its new family of entry-level EVs “will make electric driving more affordable than ever.” The ID.Polo is just the start with an electric T-Cross and much more coming soon.
Meet the Volkswagen ID.Polo
Volkswagen is reviving some of its most popular nameplates for its next-generation electric vehicles. Starting with the ID.Polo next year, Volkswagen will begin transferring names from ICE models to its new family of EVs.
The all-electric ID.Polo “is just the beginning,” according to Thomas Schäfer, VW brand CEO. As the production version of the ID.2all concept from 2023, the 25,000 euro ($29,000) entry-level electric car, the Polo EV, is expected to be a cornerstone of Volkswagen’s electrification strategy.
“A model like the Polo shows just how powerful a name can be,” Martin Sanders, Volkswagen’s sales boss, said, adding, “it stands for reliability, personality and history.”
The ID.Polo is just the start. Volkswagen has several new affordable EVs on the way, including the ID.Cross, an electric counterpart to the T-Cross.
Volkswagen said its new family of EVs marks the beginning of a new era, promising to make electric driving more affordable than ever.
The ID.Polo will evolve into an electric hot hatch, featuring a sporty GTI variant. Sanders said the ID.GTI Concept will go into production as the ID. Polo GTI, which is also launching next year. It will offer “outstanding dynamics and plenty of driving pleasure,” Sanders ensured.
Volkswagen will showcase the ID.Polo and ID.Polo GTI for the first time at the Munich Motor Show, starting on September 8.
The day before, September 7, Volkswagen will unveil the ID.Cross concept. It’s also slated to arrive in 2026 as the electric counterpart to its best-selling T-Cross SUV.
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Environment
Segway’s electric go-karts are joining forces with the world’s largest indoor karting chain
Segway just smashed the accelerator pedal on youth motorsports, teaming up with indoor karting giant K1 Speed in a new partnership that blends electric micromobility with high-octane (high-electron?) thrills and fun.
The collaboration will see Segway become the official sponsor of K1’s Junior and Teen Challenge GP leagues, while also putting Segway’s high-performance scooters and go-karts directly in front of the next generation of electric racing fans.
Segway will serve as the official sponsor of K1 Speed’s Junior and Teen Challenge GP leagues, a racing series that pits the best young go-kart racers against each other at K1 tracks across the country. Winners will even take home some fun prizes like the Segway GoKart Pro 2.
“Segway’s partnership with K1 Speed perfectly reflects our passion for performance, innovation, and inspiring the next generation of riders,” said Alex Connelly, head of emerging business development at Segway. “By bringing our products directly to K1 fans and powering the Junior and Teen Challenge GP leagues, we’re creating opportunities for more people to experience even more everyday thrills!”
K1 Speed operates over 100 locations across 30 states and 10 countries, all using fully electric go-karts, making this partnership a perfect alignment in both spirit and tech. “Segway’s incredible reputation as a front-runner in electric mobility aligns perfectly with our use of fully electric go-karts,” said K1 co-founder Susan Danglard.
The partnership also brings more access to Segway’s other micromobility products, such as their range of electric scooters that cover everything from commuting to high-performance riding. Segway’s most exciting electric vehicles, including the Max G3 e-scooter, F3 commuter scooter, GT3 performance scooter, and the GoKart Pro 2, are now available for purchase directly from K1’s website. That last one might be the most fun of all: the GoKart Pro 2 is a 3-in-1 electric vehicle that hits speeds of up to 27 mph (43 km/h), transforms into a self-balancing scooter, and even doubles as a racing simulator controller for PC gaming.
Oh, and yes… it’s designed for both kids and adults. So parents, don’t pretend you’re buying one just for the kids.
Electrek’s Take
We’ve seen branding deals before that are just that… all about branding. But this feels like much more than just a cross-promo play. It’s a real look at how electric mobility brands can build cultural relevance with young riders early – and maybe even help grow the next generation of e-racing pros while they’re at it.
By getting kids and teens into EVs, without the focus being on the EV itself, it helps cement the idea that these aren’t some new alternatives… they’re just the best way to build transportation devices, whether it’s for commuting, adventuring, or just plain fun racing!
K1’s electric karts are a bit faster than Segway’s, but they’re also built to be abused all day, every day. That Segway kart looks pretty fun for a personal option!
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