New Affordable Electric Boat Expected to Retail Below $102,000
Queens Yacht Design draws electrically powered, ergonomic boats made of durable materials that don’t cost a fortune. These are the qualities that lured Strømsøboat of Norway into a co-production agreement with the Dutch studio for its no-frills, 26’ (8 m) Strømsø Electric Folkboat.
Strømsøboat CEO Ståle Sørensen aims to make 50 a year. He selected QYD because it “understands the European boat market and we share the values of a more sustainable boat industry. We also like QYD’s design approach with classic Dutch lines.”
2023 Debut
The engineering phase of the Strømsø Electric Folkboat, says QYD owner Ronald Hagenaar, ends in October, setting the stage for production to begin at the Strømsøboat yard near Oslo in early 2023.
Sørensen expects to build five QYD-designed cruisers next year, rising to 20 and then to more than 50 boats a year.
A Big Market
Says Sørensen, “We see a big market for this boat. We’ll make a basic entry model, a model for fishing and a small ‘comfort’ cruiser.” These will carry battery power of 15Kwh, 30Kwh and 45Kwh.
QYD’s drawings show a no-frills, practical boat with a classic look and an aft swim platform. The dining area converts into sleeping accommodations for two. Also, two hammocks can be suspended from the ceiling. Forward are a head and a cabin with a 7’3” (2.2 m) double bed.
The Strømsø Electric Folkboat has two steerable pod engines under the hull that can drive the boat sideways with a joystick or steering wheel. “This boat is a ‘missing link’ in the electric-boat world full of expensive ‘super boats’,” says Sørensen. His is a boat with a big cockpit, rooftop solar panels and a retail price “well below” $102,000.
QYD spends about 12% of its resources on R&D aimed at better “sustainable products or production techniques, lower production costs, improved comfort, lower energy consumption, and other benefits,” says Hagenaar.
Sørensen adds, “Our goal has been to make a boat that works in mainland European and Scandinavian markets. We mix the classic Dutch design approach with typical Scandinavian practical sense. This mix will be able to penetrate both markets.”