Tampa Bay might one day be the heart of electric boating, if a former Tesla manufacturing executive has his way, that is!
Former global head of manufacturing for Tesla, Chuan “John” Vo, founded Blue Innovations Group in Pinellas Park, Florida. Currently, his company is working on a 30-foot electric boat dubbed the R30. It will have its hull and propulsion system debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas during the first full weekend in January.
Blue Innovations Group will continue to test the R30 throughout 2023 and hopes to begin selling the boat in the second quarter of 2024. The boat itself will use a 220 kW battery and a dual motor powertrain that can put out 800 hp. It should be able to run for about eight hours before needing a charge, though it will also come with its own onboard solar charging platform.
Vo believes that electric boats are the next step in sustainable transportation, and it’s still a very open market. Research firm The Insight Partners predicts that the electric boat market could grow to $11.35 billion by 2028 here in the U.S.
To help build out the necessary charging infrastructure for more electric boats to take over Tampa Bay, Blue Innovations Group is also developing the Blue Fast Charger. The goal is to implement these chargers across Florida before expanding nationally and then internationally.
SOURCE | IMAGES: TAMPABAYTIMES
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