Nimbus E-Power Is World’s First Commercially Available Electric Boat

Our quest for green energy has taken to the high seas with the 8m-long Nimbus E-Power. Despite being fuelled by electricity, it manages a respectable top speed of 27 knots and a range of 20 nautical miles on a 4-hour charge.

Actually, that’s four hours on a 3-phase 400V/32 source. It takes 28 hours on a standard, European 220V outlet. To put the benefits of an electric-powered boat in perspective, consider this: a full charge only runs about five euros (about $8). The boat may be priced 30 or 40 per cent higher than an equivalent diesel powered craft, but you could save money over the 10-year life of the battery on fuel costs.

Sounds great, but if you have the means it might be worth waiting a bit longer for Nimbus to improve the technology. Apparently, a new generation of batteries that can double the range will be available “soon”. That would make it a serious competitor will diesel boats in terms of performance while offering you more juice to rig up a way to electrocute fish. [Nimbus via Luxist]