The world in electric is revolutionizing the nautical too

It seems there is no doubt, they way we’ll move in the future must be electric; convinced or not, everyone is going in this direction.

Legislators, media, car dealers and marketing offices have started down a road, which seems with no return but, if you think it involves the automotive field only, you are wrong.

It seems the yachting sector and the commercial shipping have made the same choice.

Autonomy and energy self-sufficiency are fundamental for those who sail; endothermic engines, with the possibility to charge batteries using the alternators, guarantee both the things.

We have to say that who sails, specially those who use a sailboat, generally pays more attention to the environment sustainability. This is one of the reasons why the market has developed non-polluting solutions for the energy production since time.

Photovoltaic panels, wind generator and recently the hydro generators too can power new generation gel, lithium or AGM batteries.

Some European manufacturers, for 10 years now, are introducing ecological projectile solutions as well: It generally consists of hybrid engines in which the little heat motors are used as power generator for electric engines.

Not so far from the automotive outcome, the commercial results have been almost inexistent until now.

However, the situation is changing.


Analyst reports all foresee a hybrid and electric nautical increase in the next five/six years.

They assume an income of 20 billion of dollars within 2027 (from DTEchEX – Electric Boat and ship 2017 – 2027) for the yachting sector and the commercial shipping, excluding the military field.

There will be an increase for the hybrid/electric luxury yachting sector and the industrial & commercial shipping (ferries and goods transports)


A big boat emits pollutants as hundreds of cars so the environmental safety will be even more pressing.

The refusal of polluting boats is already a reality – or it’s becoming real – for what concerns the inland waters sailing in Europe, United States and Asia.

Ferries and commercial unities of new generation are already planned to have the conversion of engines in hybrid/electric and new projects already have more ecologic propulsion systems.


The production of outboard and small electric inboard boats, until now limited mainly to the inland waters sailing, is going to quickly grow up and there isn’t a shipyard today without a hybrid or electric motorisation proposal in their catalogue, as well as for the automotive.

It is still to be seen what will be the commercial results without incentives.It is even true that today “re-supplying” a boat with an electric engine it’s easier than on a car.

Charging columns are present in each landing place and for every boat mooring, already used for the board services and to charge batteries.

Furthermore, with the exception of “long holidays“, period in which who can goes on a cruise, most of the boats is used for daily trips which involve the use of the engine for a small number of hours (even less for sailboats) so the break between a trip and another easily allows to charge the boat.

It is self- evident that customers diffidence for the autonomy and reliability will be crucial.

Of course, find yourself on the open sea with your engine off is more annoying than being in the condition of parking your car on the roadside because of the dead batteries.

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