Electric boat company launched by former Tesla exec
Sustainable solutions technology company, Blue Innovations Group (BIG), is now accepting reservations for its R30 all-electric boat.
Founded by the former global head of manufacturing at Tesla, John Vo, the company is seeking to revolutionise the boating industry with sustainable marine technologies.
According to BIG, the all-electric R30 is a first-of-its-kind power boat providing customers luxury and performance with a cabin that transitions between working and living spaces, 800 horsepower dual motor, integrated user interface and solar charging capability.
In January 2023, the company exhibited at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
“Being at CES brought BIG out of stealth mode and has enabled us to share with the world BIG’s mission and vision,” says John Vo, CEO of Blue Innovations Group. “The R30 will provide the best value to customers while making no compromise on luxury, performance, styling, cost and environmental impact.”
Customers can reserve an R30 for $1,000. For a $5,000 deposit, customers can get one of the first 100 boats, with deliveries expected to start in Q2 2024. The R30 is expected to cost around $300,000. However, future models are expected to be in the mainstream segment.
MIN recently reported that Candela has raised $20m to bring its electric hydrofoils to market, RS Electric Boats has taken its Pulse 63 to Lake Garda, and Finnish startup Juva Yachts, is aiming to produce an electric limitless-range boat. The electric business is booming, as MIN’s archives demonstrate.
“People are excited about our product as much as our mission; they feel that it is overdue,” says Vo. “We have not only been able to get current boaters to be excited about our mission but also non-boaters who are super critical for our mission.”
The R30 features a dual-engine and liquid-cooled 221 kWh battery pack that delivers a total of 800 horsepower (600 kW). It is designed as a 9m electric motorboat equipped with expandable solar panels with power up to 2.7 kW. Solar panels can be used to charge the boat, says BIG. The maximum speed of the electric boat is expected to be around 39 knots.
A structurally integrated battery pack will be used as part of the hull chassis. It is planned to use LFP, which offers a longer life than NMC or NCA, as the cathode chemistry in battery cells. BIG says, it is aiming to create a more efficient battery by using a slightly larger battery with a slightly lower energy density chemistry.
