Electric vehicles seem to be the future, with almost all major auto brands after Teslas leading to a gas-free future, but will the same be true to both? Yachts are a great status symbol for wealthy people, but they are also big gas guzzlers. Now, a Swedish company, called Solar Impact, is hoping to change it with a beautiful pleasure boat that never drops a drop of fuel.
It is simply called the Solar Impact Yacht (which can change at some point). It is a nearly 80-foot long vessel and offers three floors of fun. A total of six cottages are tucked away beneath, while large social areas dominate the main deck and a living room is located at the top.
This powerful vessel is rated at over 1,300 horsepower, and when it’s full of gas it can cruise with impressive 22 knots. But that speed would drain the large 800kWh battery faster than the solar panels can actually recharge it. For truly unlimited range, reduce your speed to a much slower 5 knobs, when an electrical condition, the boat is “silent” according to the manufacturer.
If you find yourself in a cloud-covered sky and an empty battery, you can either wait for the sun to shine again or start the two diesel backup engines to push you together. Together with these power options, the company claims that the yacht comes with some kind of artificial intelligence, although it has not exactly explained how it works.