Range at higher speeds is the big problem with battery-powered sports boats. The amount of energy we can bring onto the water is very limited. At the same time, we consume a lot of energy because we are constantly driving “uphill”. Fact is: with a limited power, only a certain weight can be moved with a certain speed and agility on the water.

We have decided to keep the parameter of engine performance fixed and to increase the driving performance in other ways. If you stay with an output of approx. 50KW, you can fall back on proven industrial products for motors and controllers.

In this power range, the operating voltage must not exceed 200Volt. This means that a proven LiFePO4 with single cell monitoring can also be used here. We do not use a compact single block because its enormous point load would require considerable reinforcements. The arrangement would also make it difficult to adjust the center of gravity and the moment of inertia of the entire boat. It has been shown that approximately three quarters of the engine power need to be taken along as battery capacity. Taking more does not make sense with the current state of the art, since the overall performance then also suffers.

Ultimately, a good electric sports boat is a balanced combination of weight, performance and capacity, as well as hydro and aerodynamic optimization.

Even though electric boats in particular have to be built very lightly, we consciously refrain from using carbon as the main material. It is not only that carbon, water and electricity do not go well together, a puncture-proof hull suitable for everyday use that can withstand extreme situations is important to us.

Through the shape of the hull and the design decision to integrate the fixtures as a structural element, as well as the use of specific local reinforcements, we achieve a pure, expanded hull weight of under 150kg with a very solid laminate plan, glass fiber, epoxy resin and core material.

The development of our own boats, commissioned work for commercial shipping and the close cooperation with the Duisburg Shipbuilding Research Institute (DST) led to new approaches on our part. Under the title “Between the Elements”, we are running a smaller series of tests with the aim of using air as a supporting effect even more than before. For this purpose, we have further optimized the shape of our already hydro- and aerodynamic fuselage and replaced the lateral buoyancy bodies with wing profiles similar to those of ground-effect vehicles. As a result, the dynamic pressure effect created a lift of several percent of the boat’s weight, depending on the design. Since then, wing profiles in the water have also become one of our specialties, but they cannot always be combined with the concept of our boats.