The voting in the 2nd ‘Gussies‘ electric boat awards again totalled over 10,000 votes from around the world, cast across two rounds between May 26 and July 24, 2020.
The first round had 105 electric boats nominated, a great demonstration of the huge variety of non fossil fuel boats now available, all responding to the quickly growing interest in these green solutions.
Even more indicative of the broad interest and growth of the industry is that the boats represented 19 countries of manufacture: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA
Two new categories were added, and in the original three categories, awards were presented for boats in production and boats in development. In total, 8 awards were presented (* denote a new category or sub-category)
Electric Boats Under 8 metres / 26 feet: In Production
Electric Boats Under 8 metres / 26 feet: In Development*
Electric Boats Over 8 metres / 26 feet: In Production
Electric Boats Over 8 metres / 26 feet: In Development*
Electric Boats Designed for Paying Passengers: In Operation
Electric Boats Designed for Paying Passengers: In Development*
Electric Sailboats*
DIY/ Customized Electric Boat*
Voting was split between pulbic voting and voting by the International Panel of Judges, weighted 80% Public / 20% Panel.
Congratulations to all of the nominees, finalists and winners – as well as everyone who voted. You are truly changing the world.
The winners of the Gussies electric boat awards: 2021
Excellence in Electric Boats Under 8 metres / 26 feet: In Production
e-Commuter
Cantiere (Boatyard) Ernesto Riva
Italy
The Cantiere Ernesto Riva was established in 1771 and this year celebrated the anniversary of two and a half centuries of wooden boat building in Italy’s lake district. Founder Ernesto’s great grandson Daniele Riva is now leading the celebrated boatbuilder into the 21st century with electric boats like the striking and beautifully crafted e-Commuter, which debuted at the Monaco Solar and Energy Boat Challenge in 2018.
In addition to the wooden runabout, their other electric offerings and projects include the Elettra, a classic Vaporini water limousine that transports guests of the Sereno Hotel on picnics and other luxe water outings on Italy’s famous Lake Como.
Category Finalists: Candela 7 • Electricat 600 BIG SIX • Elwood 550eHT • Magonis Wave e-550 • SunConcept EVO 7.0 Lounge • Super Air Nautique GS22E
Excellence in Electric Boats Under 8 metres / 26 feet: In Development
Freepower Solar Boat,
Bjurtech
Norway
The Freepower is the creation of Martin Bjurmalm, who named it after his goal of an autonomous boat with the “freedom to go whenever and wherever without fuel stops, with freedom to harvest the energy around us!” He first started thinking about the project when he became a father in 2012 and his thoughts turned to what kind of world we want to leave for our children.
After developing and testing a prototype in 2019, Bjurmalm is now taking orders for delivery of the Freepower in summer of 2022 and interested e-boat and solar investors can take part in the future of the project through a crowdfunding campaign on Folkeinvest.no.
Finalists: D3Aak Boat • Navier 27
Excellence in Electric Boats Over 8 metres / 26 feet: In Production
Silent 60
Silent Yachts
Austria
The founders of Silent-Yachts, Michael and Heike Köhler, are truly electric boat pioneers who researched the possibilities for non fossil fuel boats starting in 2004 and sailed for 5 years and 15,000 NM before building the world’s first fully self-sufficient and purely solar powered bluewater catamaran, Solarwave 46, in 2009. By 2018 their solar-powered SILENT 64 crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the power of the sun and Silent-Yachts now has a full range of zero emission ocean going cats.
The Silent 60 is the most popular model, and not just with Gussies voters. The company added a second production line in early 2021 to meet demand and now has the capacity to build 15 Silent 60s a year.
Category Finalists: Greenline OC 68 • Helgeland-Plast Elida • Northman Nexus Revo 870 • SunConcept CAT 12.0 Cruise • Vita Lion
Excellence in Electric Boats Over 8 metres / 26 feet: In Development
Aquon One
Swiss Sustainable Yachts
Switzerland
The Aquon One is the first Gustave Trouvé winner to incorporate hydrogen into its energy storage and propulsion system. Using electricity from the rooftop solar panels to produce hydrogen from desalinated sea water, the gas is compressed for storage, enabling the twin 100kW electric motors and living quarters of the 19.5m / 68ft catamaran to be powered by fuel cell and/or lithium-ion battery. The Aquon website has typical usage examples.
An intelligent energy management system monitors everything, including the smart home technologies and IoT-enabled devices throughout the 250 sqm (2,700 sq ft) of living space.
Category Finalists: Silent Straits Sialia 57 • 80 SunReef Power Eco
Excellence in Electric Boats Designed for Paying Passengers: In Production
The Maid of the Mist
USA
There may be no better testament to the capabilities and reliability of electric propulsion than the new (launched October 2020) Maid of the Mist ferries which can carry up to 600 people right up to, and then pull away from, Niagara Falls and the suction power created by 600,000 gallons (2.25M litres) of water falling each second.
The twin motors can reach an output of 400kW, with an ABB Power and Energy Management System providing 316 kWh total storage capacity and the batteries being recharged after each trip with clean electricity generated by…Niagara Falls!
Category Finalists: Ampereship Solar Ferry ASF 25 • EA Mine Smart Ferry • Hunter’s Yard, UK • Soel Yachts SoelCat 12 • TRITON DeepView 24
Excellence in Electric Boats Designed for Paying Passengers: In Development
Zero Emission Double Ended Ferry
Lamarca Engenharia
Brazil
Lamarcha Engenharia (Engineering) is a team of associated professionals in Brazil who have been working in the shipbuilding industry for over 40 years on everything from tankers to offshore platforms to navy ships, tugs passenger vessels and yachts.
This 38m / 125′ double ended ferry with electric motors and azimuth thrusters has been conceived to carry commuters in Florianópolis, Brazil. The boat will be made of materials fully recyclable at end-of-life and the design includes floating docking stations with solar panel roofing.
Category Finalists: Candela P-12 • EVM 200
Excellence in Electric Sailboats
In Production
Sunreef 60E
Sunreef Yachts
Poland
It seems fitting that the Founder and CEO of Sunreef Yachts, Francis Lapp, had a long and distinguished career in electric power and electrical manufacturing before turning in 2003 to the design and construction of large, customized, luxury multihulls. Sunreef is now one of the global leading brands in both power and sail catamarans.
Electric propulsion became a big part of Sunreef’s portfolio with the unveiling of its Eco models and the Sunreef 60 E during the 2019 Cannes Yachting Festival. The 60 E features twin 75 kW engines and 80kWh battery banks along with an all-carbon fibre bimini with in-built curved solar panels that generates 4.5 kW of electricity. Carbon fibre is also used for the mast and boom.
Category Finalists: Baltic 68 Cafe Racer • Marsaudon Composites ORC 50 (TS5) • Tartan Fantail Daysailer • Viator Explorer 42 DS
Excellence in Customized/DIY Electric Boats
IRON
ecomarine
Bangladesh
The first project by ecomarine of Dhaka, Bangladesh, IRON is a 20.5m / 67 ft wood fibre composite solar catamaran custom built with 6 passengers cabins and used for tourism cruises of flooded river basins in an environmentally sensitive area of the country.
Fully powered by rooftop solar panels and battery bank, IRON has been designed with an innovative hull to be extremely energy efficient for a large clocking speeds of up to 12 kmh when using only one of her two 8kW electric motors.
Category Finalists: Beneteau Oceanis 41 • CorbElectric • Electric Ice-Airboat • Harvest • Riva Ariston Electric