Alva Yachts launch e-catamarans & floating villas
The German company Alva Yachts, a decidedly electric boat builder, has just launched its first electric watercraft. Alva Yachts’ debut models are the electric catamarans Ocean Eco 60 and Ocean Eco 90 and the hybrid sailing yacht, Ocean Sail 82.
The new Germany company, founded at the beginning of this year to make electric catamarans and sailing yachts, has made a bit of a splash by starting with the launch of no less than three electric watercraft. The debut vessels are characterised by the harnessing of solar energy within the structures of the ship, which also feature in the company’s plans for floating villas.
The startup’s debut catamarans – the Ocean Eco 60 and Ocean Eco 90 – sport a coachroof that can extend down to the raised bow to make more space available for solar panels. The solar panels are integrated into the structure of the coachroof. Alva Yachts says that these solar elements can generate 20 kW or 40 kW depending on the catamaran and supplement a 300kWh lithium battery. This should enable the 60-foot (around 18-metre) Ocean Eco 60 a capacity to travel 110 nautical miles at 7 knots or a potentially unlimited range at 4 to 5 knots.
The two catamarans can also accommodate a hybrid system with a hydrogen fuel cell as a range-extender. Also possible is a kite to harness the power of the wind. Alva Yachts says that two units of the Ocean Eco 60 are already under construction and that the company already has the 90-foot catamaran in the works.
The third electric watercraft to be debuted by the German company is the Ocean Sail 82 Alva. This 80-footer features only semi-electric motorised propulsion with a hybrid system and a high-capacity battery bank that allows the vessel to generate renewable energy while at sea. The yacht’s primary energy source is, of course, the wind.
Beyond the first three electric vessels, Alva Yachts is targeting the houseboat and floating villa markets. Although the company has not yet released the details on these vessels, Alva has said that the floating homes will be kitted out with a solar design that will allow them to function entirely off-grid in remote, sunny corners of the globe. The company has already garnered the first order for one such floating home from the Maldives.
“Our goal is to provide floating solutions,” explains co-founder and managing director Mathias May. “The same technology and design ethos, which creates beautiful, low-impact yachts can also drive change in the houseboat and floating villa sector. We believe the time is now ripe to push forward in the next step towards sustainability afloat. With our focus on high-end design and superior comfort, we are driving luxury towards sustainability.”
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