When we last checked in with Norwegian electric boat maker Goldfish, the company was just rolling out a prototype model of its 23-foot, all-electric yacht tender, the eFusion. Since then, the Goldfish has been making the rounds of the world’s boat shows and just recently scored the 2012 Boat of the Year Innovation Award at the Dusseldorf Boat Show. So just what does an electric boat have to do to win such an honor?
The Goldfish is the first 100 percent electric boat to break 40 knots (about 46 mph) But that’s nothin’. Goldfish claims their boat has a top speed of 47 knots, a clip comparable to what a 200 horsepower gas motor produces. Better yet, the eFusion can hit that speed in just 10 seconds. Goldfish says their boat is so powerful that their engineers waterskied behind the eFusion for 30 minutes — a first for the electric boating industry (see video of this below).
image via Goldfish
Prior to its foray into electric boats, Goldfish was known for its super-efficient, innovative hull designs. The company was able to easily transfer that knowledge to the eFusion and as a result they say that compared to an average competitor, the Goldfish requires half the energy to travel any given distance.
The boat is powered by a system designed by ReGen Nautic USA, which features a 145 kW brushless electric motor which operates at 95 percent efficiency. The motor is powered by a lithium battery pack with a range of about 45 nautical miles. A full charge will take about 30 minutes.
image via Goldfish
Goldfish says the EFusion will be going into production later this year. And as for the future of electric boats, the company says that they expect that in two years up to 20 percent of their boats may be powered by electricity.
[source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Earthtechling/~3/cQoUvxrQtGI/]
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