Mar 25, 2022
The XShore Eelex 8000 wants to disrupt the boating industry with a futuristic, ecologically friendly and sporty tender.
Recently we have been witnessing a transformation from most boating industries from oil-based boats to naturally friendly vessels. Moreover, as the wealthy also enjoy spending their leisure time onboard, Sweden’s X Shore is determined to transform the game with an electrically powered tender.
“One of the key things about X Shore is that we don’t want to harm the environment, we want as little pollution as possible, and that includes noise pollution. Our boats are so quiet that they make excellent dive boats, as the engines don’t scare off marine life.” -X Shore CEO, Jenny Keisu
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The Eelex 8000, X Shore’s first model, has been inspired by the Amazonian electric eel. It has a broad “head” and a sleek “body”, resembling the animal. The 8 metre tender debuted at the 2021 Palm Beach International Boat Show, where also the NFT superyacht Project Metaverse looked for an eager owner.
As the name indicates, the Amazonian electric eel lives in the Amazon basin. Nonetheless, this species has also surprised scientists around the world, as research showed they can deliver a jolt of 860 volts - much higher to the 650 volts previously recorded in electric eels. They use shock tactics for several reasons, including hunting prey, self-defence and navigation. They generate electricity from three electric organs that emit charges of varying strengths.
This power has inspired XShore and that is why the tender mostly resembles the Amazonian electric eel in its powerplant. The 8000 has a 225kW Brusa electric motor as well as a twin liquid-cooled lithium-ion Kreisel battery that can charge in a 5 to 8 hour span, or under 2 hours with the help of a supercharger. Also, it goes from 20% to 80% in just 80 minutes.
What is most groundbreaking about the X Shore is its engine. The team that built it focused on enabling the boat to compete with traditional combustion engines, and the result is an electric boat that outperforms 35 knots.
Not only does it reach a high speed, but it also provides a gratifying powerful acceleration, doing so in complete silence. The Eelex 8000 goes from zero to 20 knots in 4.2 seconds. The company expects this boat to be perfect for diving sessions, as it allows the owner to approach an area silently.
Besides propulsion, the tender is always connected to the company’s main servers in Sweden, making it impossible to steal. According to Keisu, they can just turn it off and on at the owner's command. This constant connectivity also instantly solves any bugs in the vessel’s electronics, as updates can be done quickly.
“We use cork instead of teak for sustainability, and it’s also a much nicer material. If you spill red wine on it, it doesn’t stain. Additionally, teak gets hot in the Florida sun and cold in Scandinavia. Cork does neither. And it doesn’t get slippery,” -Jenny Keinu
X Shore offers materials that are environmentally friendly. The gunwales, sole and steps use cork instead of teak. Also, they use PET, an easily recycled plastic instead of divinycell, making these boats even more sustainable.
“A year ago people heard of our plans, and they said ‘No, that’s impossible.’ But now we have an electric craft with a great user experience, great performance, and we are producing it at scale. And soon, we will be all over the world.”
The Eelex 8000 will be available to buy online with a base price of $329.000, or about 300.000€. It is expected interested customers will be able to add it into their carts and check out with an incredibly silent and environmentally friendly boat.
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Images from Boat International