An electric boat built from the ground up for maximum power has blazed past the 100-mph (161-km/h) barrier, and posted a new world record in the process. Vision Marine’s V32 catamaran recently took to the waters at the Lake of the Ozarks to leave all comers in its wake, setting a new benchmark for electrified performance watercraft.
Last year, Vision Marine opened up reservations for an all-electric outboard motor called the E-Motion 180E, looking to offer boating enthusiasts a quieter way to skim across the water without compromising on power. Billed as the world’s most powerful electric outboard, the 180-hp unit spins out 288 lb-ft (390 Nm) of torque and was promptly scooped up by Miami-based outfit Hellkat Powerboats with the aim of building the world’s most powerful electric boat.
The V32 catamaran is the product of this partnership and was built for a tilt at the world’s fastest electric boat title. It is an all-electric adaptation of Hellkat’s existing 32-ft (9.8-m) Fulgura 1 Super-Sport wide body catamaran, but features a hull purposefully designed to house battery banks big enough to power a pair of E-motion 180E motors at the rear.
At the Lake of the Ozarks shootout, a charity powerboat racing event that took place at the end of August, the V32 took to the water with acclaimed powerboat racing driver Shaun Torrente at the helm. In powering through the 100-mph barrier and onward to a top speed of 109 mph (175 km/h), the V32 has surpassed the previous speed record for an electric boat of 88 mph (142.6 (km/h), set over 1 km (0.62 miles) by Jaguar Vector Racing in 2018.
“It has been an amazing experience to push the boundaries of what people thought was impossible,” said Torrente. “In the past two days, we proved that the limits of electric propulsion are only in the minds of those that have not followed Vision Marine and our project. With this result, they cannot pretend we are not here anymore.”
An immersive 360-degree video of the record-setting run can be viewed.
More recent mentions of Vision Marine Technologies new world record:
- Electric Boat With Vision Marine Outboard Motors Hits 109 MPH – Inside EV’s
- Vision Marine Technologies and Shaun Torrente Amp Up the Electric Speed Boat Record – Wave to Wave
- World’s Fastest Electric Boat: Vision Marine’s V32 Can Run at 109 mph, Sets New Record – Tech Times
- Vision Marine Sets the World Speed Record for Electric Boats at 109 MPH – Soundings
- Vision Marine smashes the world record for world’s fastest electric boat – Powerboat World
- Electric boat breaks new speed record at 109 mph with Vision Marine’s new outboard motor – Electrek
- The World’s First 100+ Mph Electric Boat Is Here, Watch the Record-Breaking V32 in Action – Autoevolution
- Premier bateau électrique à 100 mph au monde : Vision Marine bat le record du monde – Marine Industry News
- Vision Marine Sets Electric Speed Record – CleanTechnica
- Electric boat breaks speed record with 109 MPH . track – News7g
- Vision Marine Sets Electric Speed Record – Trend Radars