Brunswick Offers a Peek Into the Future at CES
New electric outboards, FliteBoards and docking assist platform highlight multi-brand display at world’s largest tech fair.
Brunswick Corporation raised eyebrows at yesterday’s opening of CES 2024, delivering its vision of the future of boating with a range of new tech and product experiences.
The company displayed several new and concept products across multiple brands within its marina-like display. “We focused more on autonomy and electrification this year, with an enhanced presence for Freedom Boat Club,” explained Brunswick CEO, David Foulkes.
“The overall appearance is that of a virtual marina, with both physical and virtual product displays within. CES is a different show for us, because it’s the only one where we exhibit as Brunswick, rather than as our different go-to-market brands. It brings the entire enterprise together in a way that’s very different from our normal trade show presence. And in that sense, it provides a unique overview of everything we have to offer. Since we first attended CES in 2020, the response that we’ve seen from the show has been so powerful that we felt that we couldn’t not attend it after that.”
“CES is a different show for us, because it’s the only one where we exhibit as Brunswick, rather than as our different go-to-market brands”
– Brunswick CEO, David Foulkes
Among the new tech on display is the full lineup of Mercury Avator electric outboards, including the latest Avator 75e and 110e models announced on Monday. Designed for use on aluminium fishing boats, compact pontoons and small fibreglass runabouts, the two largest models in the Avator 48V electric outboard lineup will make their consumer debut later this month at boot Düsseldorf, with technical specs and pricing details held for that launch. CES marked the first time the full Avator lineup has been seen outside of Mercury’s own plant however, and the display attracted considerable interest from visiting journalists.
Brunswick also generated a lot of attention with a previously unannounced, high voltage electric outboard concept. While the company is keeping details under tight wraps, simply floating out the shell at CES marks clear evidence of Brunswick’s continuing journey toward exploring higher power electric propulsion systems.
“Where the Avator line is 48-volt product, this one will be a 400-volt, higher power motor,” said Foulkes. “We’ll be talking more about that further down the road. For now, we’re displaying the concept and gauging response.”
Anchoring Brunswick’s CES marina exhibit are three boats, including a Boston Whaler 405 Conquest equipped with the company’s prototype assisted docking platform, and several models of Brunswick’s new FliteBoard electric foiling surfboard. “The big boats are impressive, and everybody wants to take selfies in front of them, but the reality is they’re just not within everyone’s financial reach,” said Foulkes. “But FliteBoards are. They’re fun, they’re carefree and quite remarkable in how they seem to defy physics, so a lot of people are excited by them.”
Also making a return to CES this year is Brunswick’s popular boating simulator, which allows stand visitors to virtually experience the products physically on display. “That was created largely by our team at the University of Illinois in our embedded lab,” said Foulkes. "For this year they have made some really great enhancements. The renderings are more lifelike, and more futuristic. They’ve introduced FliteBoards into the environment and the simulations are of a very high quality. The overall presentation is positively striking. Once you get to a certain scale of visual imagery, your body reacts to it viscerally. It’s not like looking at an iPad anymore. You really think you’re out there, so the simulator makes quite an impression."
“And that, after all, is what we’re here to do.”