Genevo E8, first Australian-designed and built electric boat, teased

The first of the battery-powered boats, to be built at Gold Coast-based carbonfibre composite specialist Mahi Boats, is expected to start production in a few months, with the E8 expected to be available for inspection and sea trials by the end of this year.

Genevo Marine is working with Melbourne-based Deakin University on potentially using recycled carbon fibre for the E8’s hull, with plans to source raw materials from an Australia-based aerospace carbon fibre recycling plant.

According to Genevo Marine founders Damon Rahmate and Andrew Davey, the E8 centre console will be engineered to remove range anxiety – one of the main barriers to electric boat adoption worldwide – and be trailerable, meaning the boat can go wherever your tow rig does.

The Genevo E8 will feature a 400kW electric motor fed by a 132kWh lithium-ion battery pack, and turning a Mercury Bravo 2 sterndrive. An option on the production model will be a canopy-mounted 1.0kW solar array that will power the E8’s Garmin multifunction touchscreen, Polk audio system, and cooling system.

“Designing an electric boat entails some deep consideration and analysis around hull efficiencies and weight distribution,” Rahmate said.

“The E8’s meticulous design process, high-performance electric drivetrain and high-energy density battery pack will ensure a generous range of around 50 nautical miles at 25 knots or in excess of 100 at cruising speeds.”

Davey said the average recreational boater will travel around 5.0 nautical miles or less in each trip, with the E8 expected to be capable of travelling at up to 10 times this distance – at top speed.

Rahmate and Davey have a combined 30 years of experience in the solar photovoltaic, energy storage, electric vehicle recharging and marine industries.

As part of the E8 launch, Genevo will roll out a network of fast chargers at strategic marinas throughout Australia to support their boats – and any other battery-fuelled boats that are brought into the Australian market.

“Our charging technology has the capability to satisfy fast charging to both electric boats and EVs (electric vehicles)  and our technology partner is the world leader in dockside chargers,” Rahmate said.

“The satellite fast-charge pedestals offer a distinct advantage for dockside chargers over other manufacturers, being slimline, compact and proven in harsh marine environments. 

“They are also more easily scaled up in dockside environments, which will be important as the number of electric vessels on the water increases,” he said.

“Genevo Marine will be unique in acting as our own hardware service partner and installer, similar to Tesla’s own Supercharger network, thereby cutting out the requirement for third-party providers and their inherent delays.”

Using a standard EV charger will also allow Genevo owners to stop at a roadside recharging station to top up the E8’s battery.

“Fast charging also greatly reduces charge times, meaning that people can get out there and enjoy the water,” Davey said. 

“The E8 will also feature domestic charger capability, enabling owners to charge from their solar systems at home for free.”

Genevo Marine will be able to monitor the boat’s onboard system remotely, helping with after-sales support and allowing it to roll out over-the-air software updates as improvements to the E8’s power management evolve.

Adding to the convenience is the low cost of maintaining an electric driveline over a conventional one.

“Fuel cost reductions are obviously a significant advantage,” Davey said.

“But the real game-changer is the huge offset in running costs with electric motors, they only have about 1.0 percent of the moving parts compared to petrol engines, so they just don’t require the same maintenance regimes.”

The Genevo E8 is based on a hull penned by award-winning Queensland-based superyacht designer Misha Merzliakov.

It will be built using an array of the latest composite materials and techniques, allowing Mahi Boats’ Dan Williams, who also has experience building carbonfibre race yachts, to manage the strength-to-weight ratio.

According to Rahmate, using advanced construction techniques will help Genevo save on cost and time, and assure consistency throughout the entire operation.

“With a wider range of greener composite solutions making their way onto the market, we can utilise them in keeping with the environmental aspirations of Genevo,” he said.

The Genevo E8 will be the first of several planned future models to roll out of the brand. 

Anyone interested in owning a Genevo E8 can preorder their boat directly from the company.

While it may be the first to design an electric boat in Australia, Genevo is not the first Australian boat manufacturer to build one. That honour goes to Queensland-based Cruise Craft, which uses recycled materials including PET drink bottles to build the Scandanavian-designed, 5.5-metre GoBoat.