Electric Boat Maker X Shore Speaks With CleanTechnica About Its New Vessel & The Company’s Future
Much of the visibility electric vehicles enjoy right now is focused on electric cars, SUVs, and trucks. Fortunately, the electrification of transportation also includes water-based people movers. In the United States there may be as many as 12 million registered leisure craft. In Europe, that figure is about 6 million, according to the European Boating Industry website. Typically, such watercraft employ gas or diesel-powered engines which generate various forms of pollution: air, water, noise, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Electric boats don’t use any gasoline or diesel fuel and they don’t directly produce toxic pollution. They also can’t leak oil or gas into marine and freshwater habitats, like millions of fossil-fuel boats do. The Sweden-based electric boat maker X Shore has two all-electric boats available for sale, having somewhat recently announced its second, the X Shore 1. Ordering for the X Shore 1 is open now, with deliveries slated for the second quarter of 2023.
Jenny Keisu, X Shore’s CEO, answered some questions about the X Shore 1 and the company’s future. (She previously provided insights for a separate interview on CleanTechies.)
Why did you decide to design and manufacture an all-electric boat that is smaller than the Eelex 8000?
X Shore puts sustainability at the forefront of everything we do, and we are on a mission to drive change in the boating industry. We designed the X Shore 1 to be smaller than its sibling, the Eelex 8000, so that it could have the same performance with half the battery, and hence be available at a third of the price of other high-performing electric boat models on the market. By coming at an accessible price point, we can bring sustainable boating to a larger audience to further promote global emission reduction and protect marine life. The X Shore 1 is designed for boating enthusiasts who enjoy spending time on the water and are interested in a more sustainable lifestyle.
With the X Shore 1, does it come with its own charger and if so, what speed does it charge at?
The boat is designed to be compatible with all kinds of different grade sockets, which means you can charge your X Shore boat in most sockets out there. The speed at which it charges depends on the type of charger being used. With a fast charger, you can go from 20% to 80% in under an hour! A three-phase socket charger that is found in most marinas nowadays charges the boat in around 3 hours.
What is the battery chemistry and what is the expected battery life?
X Shore 1 is powered by a 63 kWh lithium-ion battery that gives enough range for most use cases, such as fishing, water sports, and cocktail cruising. The batteries are designed to live through at least 3000 charging cycles, with a minimum 70% state of charge. Given that most boats are not used on a daily basis, this means that the battery is fit for purpose for many years.
Does the X Shore 1 have a warranty, and if so, what is it?
The most important components have a warranty of 3 years.
With an all-electric boat, is it necessary to trickle charge the battery to keep it from running down all the way when it is not in use?
A simple, complete storage guide can be found in the boat manual, although it varies on your unique environment and how you store your boat. Worth mentioning is that the storage temperature should be between 0 and 25 degrees Celsius and the boat should be stored in a dry place. We recommend that the battery state of charge is checked every month, which can be done via our mobile app, and that it is kept between 10% and 30% during storage.
Are you considering releasing another new model in the next couple of years, and if so, will it be smaller than the X-Shore 1?
X Shore’s goal is to remain at the forefront of the electric boat market and to be the #1 electric boat company, so we are constantly working to improve our boats and technology to provide the best experience for users. We are going to continue to innovate and are excited to see what is next for X Shore!
What do you intend to do with the $50 million in new funding you secured during the spring?
The capital raised is used to expand production at X Shore Industries 1, our new factory in Nyköping, Sweden, that finalized its first boat for delivery earlier this year. The new facility has an automated assembly line that will allow our production capacity to go from 40 to around 400 vessels per year. The funding will also go towards continuing the development of new software, marketing, and expanding our operations in the US.
Do you see a lot of interest in electric boats from the boating community in Sweden and other European countries?
Yes, we have seen a significant shift toward EVs, including electric boats, over the last few years, and have had a high demand in Europe, as well as in the US.
What is your company vision for the next three to five years?
We plan to grow and expand our current sustainable initiatives. We aim to lead the industry towards zero-emission boating and have a holistic strategy and targets across all relevant sustainability aspects. Right now, we are working to secure full traceability of the battery value chain by 2025, and by 2030, we have a goal of producing the first boat with a net zero carbon footprint.
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