A San Francisco startup packed with endurance athletes and engineers from places like Apple is building an electric jet ski that could do for wave riding what Tesla Motors has done for driving.
Eco Watercraft says the Eco1 will do more than 60 mph. As quick as that is, it's nothing compared to the price. The little water rocket will go for $32,000 when it goes into production in 2011.
"Since this is new technology it will be expensive," company founder Barrett Taylor told Wired.com. "But the Eco1 will be like nothing you've ever seen before in the world of jet skis, sort of like the Tesla Roadster."
Eco Watercraft recently took a prototype for a spin on San Francisco Bay. It didn't achieve 60 mph in the video. But Taylor says the prototype, which is little more than an electric drivetrain in a conventional jet ski, will do 50 mph and the battery will last three hours.
"The reason it may look slow is because we were using the video to demonstrate that the jet ski could be marketed for a totally different demographic - those that wish to cruise and not just the thrill seekers," he said.
Oh.
Taylor came up with the idea after competing in an Ironman triathlon where several people got sick sucking down exhaust fumes produced by the jet skis patrolling the water. He also was bothered by the noise the popular machines produce.
He assembled a team of engineers from Apple and Electric Motorsports, which is building a motorcycle for the TTxGP green grand prix, to develop the Eco1. Much of the technology is "top-secret," but Taylor says it will use lithium-ion batteries with a run time of three hours. When the batteries are dead, three hours plugged into a 240-volt outlet will get you back in action. Plug it into a household 110-volt outlet and you're looking at a six hour recharge time.
The thought of riding a big ol' battery in the water might make some people nervous, but Taylor says the electrics are housed in an air- and watertight casing so you won't get fried should you somehow manage to sink the thing.
To further boost the Eco1's green cred, Taylor says it will sport solar panels and will be built in a factory powered by renewable energy. If you can prove you're getting your power from a renewable source, Eco Watercraft will knock two grand off the jet ski's price tag, too.
""We are going to be the first electric personal watercraft corporation in the world," he said. "And we believe that by practicing sustainable methods of eco-friendliness we will ensure the survival of our company and our planet."
Taylor hopes to unveil the Eco 1 at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii next October. He says a second prototype with a carbon fiber hull will be finished in five weeks and the company will start taking orders by the end of the year.
Just as Tesla produced a roadster with a six-figure price tag before unveiling a less expensive sedan, ECO Watercraft plans to break into the market with the Eco1 before offering a cheaper model. Once production on the Eco1 begins, Taylor says, the company will start work on an "economy" model with a little less performance and a price around $10,000 to $12,000.
Photo: Eco Watercraft
See Also:
- Around the World In a Solar Electric Boat
- Scout Brings Gas-Electric Power to the Water
- Solar Hybrid Yacht Shows Electricity and Water Do Mix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM7WKfMB0f0
