A fleet of small electric boats that fly a metre above the water using hydrofoil technology will be built for Sydney Harbour as part of a push to reduce maritime emissions and local pollution.
New Zealand-based Vessev has signed a deal to deliver multiple VS-12 electric hydrofoiling vessels, which can carry up to 30 passengers each, to an undisclosed client in Sydney. Vessev chief executive Eric Laakmann said the boats would be used to “augment public transport” on the harbour.
While the delivery date is yet to be announced, it is expected to be after Vessev fulfils existing orders for customers in Perth and Hobart in early 2027. Perth is getting the smaller VS-9 boats, which can carry 10 passengers, for tourism on the Swan River, while Hobart will have both VS-12 and VS-9 boats for a passenger service on the Derwent River.
Laakmann said electric boats were important for sustainability because conventional marine vessels were not only a big source of greenhouse emissions, but also local pollution.
“If you’re running a tourism service out to a coral reef, you might say to your customers, ‘hey, please wear reef-safe sunscreen’,” Laakmann said. “Meanwhile, the way that most of these tourism operators operate because they have no good choice, is they use an outboard engine, mixing exhaust into water and discharging that on top of the reef. By going electric we eliminate a lot of that.”
Electric vessels – from solar electric yachts to electric outboard-motor boats – are gaining traction in the recreational market and are now a major feature of most boat shows. Governments and commercial operators are also trying to electrify their fleets.
The NSW government recently signed a deal with a Hobart shipbuilder for its first electric ferry, which is expected to be trialled for 12 months from early 2028 and enter passenger service a year later. However, the state is likely to miss its goal to electrify or use hydrogen to power its entire public fleet of 40 vessels by 2035.
Other sustainability shifts include a push to replace conventional boat moorings, which destroy seagrass meadows because of the ball-and-chain design, with eco-friendly alternatives.
Charging infrastructure remains a challenge for growth of the electric boat industry. Laakmann said local battery energy storage systems at marinas and wharves can provide high-powered DC charging for smaller boats without major infrastructure upgrades.
Hydrofoiling – technology that has been honed for the America’s Cup and other yacht races – also used significantly less energy, he added.
Conventional boats displace water, creating wake that can erode the shoreline. Hydrofoil technology lifts the hull above the water, reducing drag and therefore energy consumption. The waves would have to be 75 centimetres high to touch the hull of the VS-9 and one metre for the VS-12.
Other companies with electric hydrofoiling boats include Swedish Candela and US-based Navier.
A test ride in a VS-9 was smooth and fast. The boat leant into turns and visibly skated above the water rather than on it – “flying”, as Laakmann calls it.
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Caitlin Fitzsimmons is the environment and climate reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. She was previously the social affairs reporter and the Money editor.Connect via email.