Porsche moves into waterways with $655,000 electric speedboat

After a stalled bid to hitch Method One, Porsche is stepping into boats. 

The German automaker introduced that it could develop an electrical speedboat with the Austrian shipbuilder Frauscher. 

Set for supply in 2024, the Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air is a 28-foot day cruiser based mostly on the Frauscher 858 Fantom Air. Studio F.A. Porsche will design the helm stand and outfit the inside trimmings together with seats and fabric, whereas the boat will share its drive know-how with the upcoming electrical Porsche Macan. Will probably be constructed within the Frauscher Shipyard in Ohlsdorf, Austria. 

The vessel isn’t Porsche’s first foray into watercraft.

In 2008, Porsche Design, the studio and model Ferdinand Alexander Porsche based in 1972, launched the Porsche Fearless 28, a speedboat made to resemble the Porsche Carrera GT supercar. That one was powered by the identical V-10 engine used within the Dodge Viper.

Volkswagen Group’s most worthwhile marque has additionally promoted a 22-foot boat made by Seven Seas Yachts known as the Hermes Speedster, which was made to evoke the Porsche 356 classic automotive. The corporate is now investigating additional purposes for its powertrain in different boat sizes.

Automotive manufacturers from Aston Martin and Bugatti to Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati have collaborated on oceangoing crafts as nicely. Henrik Fisker, who developed the Fisker Karma EV, designed a $37 million superyacht with Benetti in 2016. Final yr, Lamborghini created a $3.5 million yacht with Technomar. These partnerships targeted largely on combining aesthetics and branding.   

Porsche is promising one thing totally different: a ship utilizing electrical know-how designed for roadgoing automobiles. The Porsche Fantom Air, which is proscribed to 25, makes use of the identical electrical platform — what Porsche calls its Premium Platform Electrical (PPE) — because the Macan EV due at dealerships in 2024; that features a lithium-ion battery with a complete capability of round 100 kilowatt-hours, an electrical motor and different associated energy electronics linked to the 800-volt know-how. The Macan is Porsche North America’s hottest automobile, promoting 23,688 items final yr, or 33% of whole gross sales.

The boat will accommodate 9 folks, who can take pleasure in a swimming platform, solar lounge, premium sound system and fridge whereas on board. As with the longer term Macan EV, homeowners of the Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air can cost it at DC fast-charging stations or by way of AC charging.

Porsche declined to specify efficiency specifics together with the cruising vary and length for charging. Max energy and velocity are additionally looming query marks, as most electrical boats right this moment are comparatively heavy and suited just for informal cruising. The Duffy 18 Comfortable Harbor, as an example, has a prime velocity of 6 mph. The Hinckley Dasher of 2017 used twin 80-horsepower motors powered by 40 kwh BMW i3 lithium-ion batteries; it has a vary of about 40 miles at a cruising velocity of 8 mph.  

Nonetheless, it’s a profitable market for electrical boats emulating the “Tesla” of watercraft. Arc One, introduced in 2022, boasts a 220 kwh battery dimension, almost thrice the capability of a Tesla Mannequin Y. That one can run for 3 to 5 hours on a single cost. An organization known as X Shore AB is elevating funds to supply a net-zero emissions boat by 2030. 

Excessive-powered luxurious electrical boats are extra uncommon: A 38-foot Electrical Cigarette in 2013 used 12 Mercedes-AMG electrical motors to attain 2,251 horsepower and a pair of,213 pound-feet of torque. That was a one-off idea. By comparability, the unique 858 Fantom Air boasts 430 cv (423 horsepower) on its V-8 engine and a cruising velocity approaching 45 knots.

A Porsche spokesperson says the automaker’s boat will possible value round $655,000. The Frauscher 858 Fantom Air on which it’s based mostly begins at $250,000 new and prices round $300,000 on the used market. Extra data and pictures shall be obtainable in September, based on the spokesperson. Whereas Porsche is accepting orders, the boat has not but bought out.