When pioneers and Believers come together, truly great things can happen. So it has been with German company eD-TEC – pioneers of a new dawn for high-performance all-electric boating, alongside a growing Believer Team of partners – which has unveiled an all-new, high-performance, all-electric RIB, the first of which is currently undergoing sea trials.
To realise this extraordinary new vessel, eD-TEC has formed a strategic alliance with additional Believers, each bringing special capabilities in e-mobility. The new Believers for this strategic partnership will be announced shortly.
The team was able to develop and build the performance carbon monohull with eD-TEC’s revolutionary propulsion system in just nine months, enlisting the expertise of renowned boatbuilding pioneer Sven Akermann who is known for delivering performance and lightweight construction as well as no-nonsense clarity without compromise.
Named the eD 32 c-ultra, the new model – the first of which is nearing completion in Germany – is based on a proven Akermann design, modified in the aft section to cater to eD-TEC’s revolutionary eD-QDrive 1 propulsion units, surface drives, eD-Technology Stack and battery pack. The boat will be delivered in early summer this year.
Measuring 9.5 metres LOA with a 3.2-metre beam and just 0.84-metre draft, the new RIB offers the perfect platform for lake and coastal exploring alike. A 30-knot cruise and 50-knot top speed deliver zero-emission, zero-noise thrill rides, while an optional jet thruster system means the boat is super manoeuvrable in tight spaces, making it perfect for superyacht guest operations.
The first hull is equipped with more than 100kWh of batteries in eD-TEC’s slimline battery pack form, which allows for a range of up to 30 nautical miles on a single charge. The c-ultra features not only standard 22kW AC charging, but also 150kW DC-DC fast charging which can take the batteries to 80 percent charge in just 40 minutes, making it suitable for superyacht tender operations.
eD-TEC is also currently developing a higher capacity battery pack which will allow up to 140kWh of batteries for even greater range and operating time, and which should be available in the second half of 2024.
Photos eD-TEC
