Welcome to the world of electric boats and boating. This is the newsletter that regular readers of the Plugboats website receive. If you find it informative, I hope you’ll sign up. I also hope you will explore Plugboats.com, which has a lot more to offer than the simple newsletter. It is the world’s only international website dedicated 100% to electric boats and boating and has all the latest news as well as electric motor buying guides, an international directory of over 900 electric boat suppliers and a marketplace of electric motors and boats for sale, rent and charter. I hope you enjoy the newsletter and invite you to sign up - FOR FREE - and / or discover more at Plugboats.com
Regular Subscriber Newsletter
LAST CHANCE TO VOTE in The Gussies, Plugboats Guide to METSTRADE and more electric boat news.
Voting for the world’s best electric boats in 10 categories ends tonight (November 16 at midnight EST). More information further down in this newsletter, but first, our regular newsletter. (Click »» here to go directly to the voting page now)
In other e-boat news:
EXHBITIONS | MOTORS | ACCESSORIES
It’s time for the recreational boating industry to gather this week for the 37th METSTRADE Show, being held November 18 – 20 at the RAI Centre in Amsterdam. There are almost 80 electric propulsion related exhibitors at this year’s METS, the highest number ever. The Plugboats Guide has highlights to see at the show as well as a complete directory of all the electric boating exhibitors.
COMPETITIONS | HYDROFOILING
Team Brady, the E1 electric speedboat racing team owned by retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady, remain ‘Champions of the Water’ as it triumphed again last weekend in Miami to capture its second title in an exciting conclusion to the circuit’s second season.
MOTORS | OUTBOARDS | INVESTMENT
Zparq (pronounced ‘spark’), the Swedish start up that has developed a hollow core ‘see-through’ electric boat motor, has received €5.5m (UD$ 6.6m, £4.9m) of combination grant/equity funding from the EIC Accelerator program to finalize development and scale industrial production of its Z10 electric drivetrain platform.
MOTORS | HYDROFOILING
Vessev is a New Zealand builder of hydrofoiling electric boats – ferries in particular – that has developed an internal closed-loop cooling system for their motors enabling better performance in tropical climates where water and air temperatures are a factor.
VOTING for The Gussies NOW ON
Help choose the 2025 Winners
The International Judging Panel has made their Finalists selections from the 122 electric boats nominated in the 2025 Gustave Trouvé Awards for Excellence in Electric Boats and Boating (The Gussies). Now it’s time for you to have your say in choosing the winners.
There is an amazing variety of boats and vessels and craft of all shapes and sizes and uses – matched with the latest innovations and technological advances in electric propulsion. The 42 finalists were designed or built in 23 different countries.
Congratulations to all Nominees and Good Luck to all Finalists!
A huge thank you to our presenting sponsors, two leaders in electric boats and boating who help make these awards possible: EPTechnologies and Nautical Ventures.
Voting ends November 16 at midnight EST.
The Finalists by Category
Up To 8m/26 ft: In Production
In this category there are single hulls, catamarans, inboard powered boats, outboard powered boats, hydrogen fuel cell powered boats and gathering energy from solar-panels on the roof.
The Finalists (alphabetical order, not lining up with the photo collage below): Artemis23 (USA) • Axopar AX/E 22 (Finland) • Dhamma Blue DHB-P01 (Spain) • Frauscher 740 Mirage Air (Austria) • Helios Omega 7.2 (Bulgaria) • LASAI 22GL (Spain)
Up To 8m/26 ft: In Development
Inboard-powered, outboard-powered, solar panels…this category also has two hydrofoiling Finalists and one with an ‘AirHull’ that enables the boat to ride on a cushion of air.
The Finalists (alphabetical order, not lining up with the photo collage below): Alukin OceanAir 8 (Sweden | Norway) • Arc Coast (USA) • EB EINS FLY (Germany) • Estirar (India) • NERO 645 (Germany) • Pegasus (Finland)
Over 8m/26 ft: In Production
This category has huge variety - daybouts designed for leisure speed cruising, a boat with an international speed record, an ocean-going yacht, a hydrofoiling boat, a totally autonomous boat…lots to explore.
The Finalists (alphabetical order, not lining up with the photo collage below): Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom (Austria | Germany) • Limo (India) • Lumen E10 (Netherlands) • Millikan Boat M.10 (France) • Silent Yachts SY80 (Italy) • Vessev VS–9 (New Zealand) • Zin Boats Z11 (USA)
Over 8m / 26 ft: In Development
Each of the Finalists here come from a different country, with dayboats, speedboats, hydrofoilers, hull efficiency technologies…
The Finalists (alphabetical order, not lining up with the photo collage below): Aquabolt V30 (Hong Kong) • Como 28 (Hungary) • CROOZE EZ 28 (Bulgaria) • Flighter (Sweden) • Hugin (Denmark) • STERK 31e (Germany | Canada)
The Over 8m/26 ft category of The Gussies is presented by EPTechnologies.
Thank you!
Electric Sailboats
Three catamarans, one monohull, boats from established sailboat builders and builders new to the category, standard wings, sailwing…this category shows how electric propulsion is being adopted for boat owners who have always appreciated being on the water to enjoy natural sound and fresh sea air.
The Finalists (alphabetical order, not lining up with the photo collage below): Aquila 50 ES/DS (USA) • MODX 70 (France) • Nautor Swan 88 (Finland) • Vaan R5 (Netherlands)
The Personal Watercraft and Up To 8m /26 ft categories of The Gussies are presented by Nautical Ventures. Thank you!
Personal Watercraft (PWC)
The Finalists in this new category show a traditional ‘jetski’ application, two hydrofoiling units, two using a combination of human and electric propulsion, and lots of innovative ways to bring electric to smaller vessels.
Finalists (alphabetical order, not lining up with the photo collage below): Darthcraft Splash (Slovenia) • E-JetCycle (France) • OTTER Explorer (Switzerland) • Quadrofoil (Slovenia) • Taiga Orca (Canada)
Retrofitted / Customized Electric Boats
We’ve got one classic as a Finalist that has been redone with electric propulsion, a modern boat with a classic look, a touring ferry, and a one-design fossil fuel race boat reimagined as battery electric.
The Finalists (alphabetical order, not lining up with the photo collage below): 1928 Herreshoff Launch (USA) • Bosphorus 31 (Turkiye) • EMS Uetliberg (Germany) • Formula-4 Race Boat (Germany | France)
Workboats
Workboats are one of the use cases where electric offers many advantages, one of the biggest being economies over the long haul. The Finalists here include a boat designed for small cargo over short distances, a hydofoiling vessel for cargo containers over longer distances, a harbour tug and all around general work boat.
The Finalists (alphabetical order, not lining up with the photo collage below): Electra 2800 SX (Turkiye | Canada) • Ferryboat 8m (Slovenia) • Fly-Box (Switzerland) • VIGGO C11 CRUISER (Sweden)
Commercial Passenger Vessels: In Operation
Commercial Passenger vessels are also attracted to electric solutions for financialand environmental benefits. In the Final: a two hydrofoiling ferry/watertaxis, a solar powered ferry and a safari house/hotel boat.
The Finalists (alphabetical order, not lining up with the photo collage below): Candela P-12 (Sweden) • Pangolin Voyager (Namibia | UK) • ProEco 60 (Croatia) • SmartBubble (France)
Commercial Passenger Vessels: In Development
Commercial passenger vessels are one of the fastest growing segments of electric propulsion but are not always noticed because it is often a long time between commissioning and deployment. A look at what the future holds.
The Finalists (alphabetical order, not lining up with the photo collage below): Apollo (India) • ‘AT1' - EVM200 (New Zealand) • VERNE (Poland)
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the newsletter
As always, if you have any suggestions about what you would like to see covered in Plugboats, or have a lead on an interesting story, drop me a line! (hit 'Reply' or click on the email icon below.)