THIS MONTH'S 10

THE 10 KEY BOATING STORIES YOU NEED TO READ

1 DELPHIA’S ALL-ELECTRIC FUTURE

Delphia has launched its first all electric model and announced that it will only build electric boats by 2024. The Polish brand was bought by Beneteau Group in 2018 and is the first in the French giant’s stable to commit to going 100% electric – by the middle of the decade it will make no ICE (internal combustion engine) models at all. The range will eventually comprise seven boats ranging from 30-42ft (9-13m) including a three-model 10 series with design and naval architecture by Tony Castro and Vripack launching in September.

The recently launched Delphia 11 is the first model to have an all-electric version, powered by a single 56kw (equivalent to 80hp) Torqeedo Deep Blue 50i 1400 motor with either one or two 38kWh battery banks. There are three different versions of the system depending on intended use: Life for lakes, Cruise for extended inland cruises, and Rapid, which adds a single 22kW fast charger to the mix. All versions use identical battery packs, the same as those used in the BMW i3, though Cruise and Rapid have two of them to double the charge capacity.

Boats fitted with the larger battery packs have a claimed range of 80km (43nm) or 10 hours at 4.3 knots, and will charge overnight via a standard 16A shore power connection. Using a rapid charger the batteries can be charged from 40-80% in three hours.

Working with Torqeedo and local authorities/marinas, Delphia is also planning to boost charging infrastructure as required, targeting the inland waterway networks of northern Europe where the electric boats are likely to prove most popular. The brand intends to emulate Tesla by electrifying not only the boats but also the waterways in the same way that Tesla’s supercharger network transformed the access to charging stations for its car customers.

The sustainability efforts stretch further than the propulsion system, however, an