First electric X-Yacht launches

Danish yacht manufacturer X-Yachts has launched a 49-foot, 12-ton hybrid-powered yacht equipped with two 10kW electric saildrives from Oceanvolt. The X4⁹E is a specially adapted version of the existing X4⁹ and is the first electric X-Yacht made by the yard.

”We didn’t want to be first movers in this area, but preferred to wait until technology and knowledge had matured properly”, says Kræn Nielsen, CEO of X-Yachts. “And I’m really happy to say that the time finally is right to present the first X-Yacht with electric propulsion.”

Nielsen adds: ”A new range of electric powered sailboats is a natural step for us in order to support a greener future, a nice match with other initiatives, such as being the main sponsor of the Race For Oceans Foundation.”

Technical manager John Morsing says: “Oceanvolt has been a close partner all along. The boat is fairly big, 49ft and weighs 12 tons. So we have installed two Oceanvolt ServoProp SD10 engine pods, each 10kW. They run on 48V, and are mounted on each side of the traditional engine compartment, below the aft cabin bunks. The former engine compartment has become a dedicated technical space, housing the battery bank, charger/inverter, BMS, controllers and so on. The solution with two engines serves two purposes: more power and higher safety through redundancy.”

According to X-Yachts, the battery bank has a capacity of 28.8kW, consisting of LifePo4 lithium batteries. Range with pure electric power depends on conditions but the company estimates in calm conditions a 22.7 nautical mile range at 5 knots.

The X4⁹E can produce up to 3.5 kW when sailing at speeds over 8 knots, meaning that sailing for around eight hours will charge the batteries from empty to full.

Morsing says: “Finding the right project for our first boat with electric propulsion was crucial. This owner knows our boats well and has a strong passion for green, silent boating. He also wants to go blue water cruising, which puts even bigger demands on the system. The boat has been upgraded in several areas, such as rig, electronics etc. We have chosen a hybrid system for this boat, which means installing a diesel generator with capacity to take care of power in situations where battery capacity is not sufficient.”

The X4⁹E is also equipped with solar panels, which are largely used to provide electricity for the boat’s ‘hotel load’: lights, navigation systems, appliances, etc. For those who are not planning blue water cruising the boat is also available as an all-electric model without any diesel generation.