Beneteau continues to expand its line of electric powered boats with the announcement of the Oceanis 30.1 and the First 44 sailing yachts at the Salon Nautic de Paris recently.
The company has been making waves in the electric boating world, with Groupe Beneteau Chairman and CEO Jérôme de Metz sharing that “There are new expectations and user habits, new ways of travelling and latest technologies: a new world of pleasure boating and marine leisure is coming into view on the horizon, and all of us throughout Groupe Beneteau are positioning ourselves to be the leading players in this new world.”
Beyond decarbonizing propulsion, boat builders like Beneteau are also looking at ways to make everything involved in the making of their e-boats as environmentally friendly as possible. This includes the materials, production processes, and even what will happen to the hull and other elements at the end of a boat’s life in order to be a part of the “circular” economy.
The Beneteau First 44 vessel is an example of this approach to circular production.The hull is made entirely with ELIUM resin, a composite that can be recycled during the dismantling of the boat through a process that separates the fiberglass from the resin. The resin becomes reusable to make new infusion parts for new boats. And the traditional teak on the deck of the First 44e has been replaced by iroko, a wood from forests in the Congo that have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
For the propulsion, Beneteau worked with Torqeedo on a twin pod series-hybrid system. In this system, all mechanical propulsion is done by electric motors. The two 12 kW Torqeedo pods are powered by a 20 kWh battery bank. The batteries can be recharged in port with standard shore charging systems and through hydrogeneration when the First 44 is under sail. The hybrid aspect includes charging via an onboard Fischer Panda diesel generator. The goal of the whole system is to provide sailors with a new way to enjoy being out in their boat that includes “silent motor sailing,” where the electric motor is imperceptibly on to create apparent wind even in very light weather.
Meanwhile, the Oceanis 30.1 is a lighter, smaller boat than the First 44 and designed for sailing on lakes and rivers, as well as coastal sailing. It has a single Torqeedo 6 kW Cruise pod with 48 V batteries and an energy storage capacity of 5 kWh. This provides a range of up to 6 hours at 4 knots. The batteries can be recharged with shore-based power, hydrogeneration, or augmented by solar panels. If you want, a second 5 kWh battery can be added to double up the power.
Torqeedo CEO Fabian Bez said, “The partnership between Groupe Beneteau and Torqeedo continues to bring exciting new vessels to the marine market, expanding the opportunities for boaters to go 100% emission-free.”
Torqeedo Motor Image Gallery
SOURCE | IMAGES: PLUGBOATS
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