Plugboats: Canadian ENVGO Among Gussies Winners
Dec 19, 2024
by Jeff Butler
Last week the Gustave Trouvé International Electric Boat Awards (The Gussies) wrapped up, and for the first time in the five year history of the awards, a Canadian company was one of the winners. ENVGO of Waterloo, Ontario, took home top prize for their NV1 in the category “Electric Boats Under 26 ft / 8m In Development.”
After voting by more than 6,000 members of the public and an International Judging Panel of 32 electric boat experts, these are the boats who have taken First Place in their respective categories as best representatives of ‘excellence in electric boats and boating’.
Voting was weighted 75% Panel / 25% Public. In many categories, this was an incredibly tight competition – so much so that in one category when all of the votes were added up and weighted only a few points separated the first to fourth place finishers.
Not surprisingly for a team based in the Canadian tech hub, its members of come from a wide range of science and engineering disciplines, including robotics, drones, and of course, RIM Technologies of Blackberry fame.
Their winning NV1 is a hydrofoiling boat. Instead of travelling through the water on its hull, it flies above the waves on foils – sort of underground wings that lifts the hull into the air when the boat hits a predefined speed.
Hydrofoiling is a very hot technology in electric boats these days, especially for small to medium sized commercial ferries and watertaxis carrying anywhere from 12 to 50 people. The NV1, though, is made for pure unbridled pleasure.
The advantage of hydrofoiling that is particularly attractive for electric boats is that it reduces the water resistance and drag friction to next to nothing. Instead of an entire hull in contact with the water, there are only the two struts that attach the wings to the hull.
That overcomes the main hurdle in electric boating – battery weight. By reducing the amount of energy required to make a boat move, the required battery weight also goes down. A hydrofoiling boat reduces energy consumption by as much as 80%, meaning dramatically increased range at speed.
For the NV1, that translates to a range of 120 kilometres at speeds of up to 80 km/h. The drive train has about 220 kiloWatts of power (330 hp) for short spurts (peak power) and continuous power of 125 kw (175 hp). The battery holds 80 kiloWatt hours of energy.
You can tell just be looking at images of the 24.5 foot boat that it is built for speed and a thrilling experience. It brings a new dimension to the word ‘sleek’, with a design by J. David Weiss of Designova, an international award-winner in his own right who was recently named one of the leading “Industry Disruptors” by BOAT International’s “Future Yachts” book.
ENVGO also enlisted the help of Canadian Naval Architect Steve Killing. Killing, a C&C alumnus, designer of Canada’s last America’s Cup challenger and more recently of Emirates Team New Zealand Yacht AC72 . Killing consulted on the hull shape, 3D modelling of the composite surfaces (hull and deck), CFD (computational fluid dynamics performance analysis), and the structural design.
As you can imagine, getting a boat to fly is a technical challenge, and the ENVGO team came about the problem from the flight aspect first, then applied that to a boat.
Most of them come from a company called Aeryon Labs, where they developed the technology for autonomous capabilities for drones that essentially turns them into flying robots.
ENVGO Co-Founder April Blaylock is a roboticist who has been working in the field of Computer Vision for over 14 years. ENVGO’s other Co-Founder, Jerry Mailloux, led the engineering team at Aeryon and before that played a role in building the first BlackBerry smartphone.
The passion for boating comes from Mike Peasgood, who was the Systems Architect at Aeryon responsible for designing and maintaining the flight and gimbal control systems on the SkyRanger aircraft.
All of that experience – and more – has come together in an incredible piece of technology that just happens to have a swim platform.
Congratulations to the first Canadians to win the award, along with wishes for ‘high flying’ success as their NV1 moves to production.
Since The Gussies were founded in 2020, the awards have been won by boat builders from 26 countries all over the world, including India, China, Brazil and Bangla Desh as well as places like Sweden, Germany, the UK and USA.
Full list of the 2024 Gussies winners
Production Electric Boats: Up to 8m / 26ft
Sun Concept EVO 7.0 Cruise
Sun Concept • Portugal
The SunConcept EVO 7.0 is a solar powered boat designed for use in calm and sheltered waters, suitable for protected coastal areas and lagoon and riverside areas where noise, pollution and stress caused by agitation are factors that destabilize and devalue the landscape and well-being. On the EVO 7.0, enjoy a meal inside, enjoy a sunset, dive into refreshing waters or simply sail. Capacity for 12 people. Energy-independent, capable of operating at 4 knots. Maximum speed: 7 knots. Standard version with 2 x 6 kW engines, 31.4 kWh lithium batteries and 1.54 kWhp solar power generation.
Concept/In Development Electric Boats: Up to 8m / 26ft
ENVGO NV1
ENVGO • Canada
The ENVGO NV1 is a 25-foot electric hydrofoiling cruiser that blends luxury with high performance. With a range of up to 80 miles and speeds reaching 50 mph, the NV1 effortlessly glides above water, leaving no wake, emitting zero emissions, and operating in near silence. The aesthetically sleek design and lightweight carbon fiber hull are matched only by its advanced flight control technology, offering a refined and intuitive boating experience. The ENVGO NV1 is a revolutionary clean-energy boat that sets a new standard where sustainability and innovation intersect, redefining what’s possible in high-performance electric boating.
Production Electric Boats: Over 8m / 26ft
Sialia 45 Sport
Sialia Yachts • Poland
The Sialia 45 Sport combines the technical pinnacle of boat design and electric powertrains delivering a unique experience of electric boating without compromises. Combining a top speed of 45 knots, cruising at 25 knots and a Miami – Bahamas range of 75nm with 10% to spare! With up to 700kWh semi-solid battery, 2x300kW continuous motors and a user-centric Ship Management system to ensure simple, safe and comfortable use the Sialia 45 Sport opens up for sustainable boating with all its perks but without compromising on performance, style and experience, at a price point matching its combustion peers!
Concept/In Development Electric Boats: Over 8m / 26ft
Optima e14
Optima Electric Yachts • UK
The Optima e14 is an ultra-efficient, light-weight 100% electric boat. The innovative design uses significantly less energy, the ultra-efficient design gives the boat a range of up to 150NM on one charge, allowing for long distance cruising in an electric boat and eliminating the problem of “range anxiety”. The low-energy hull reduces the need for very large battery banks, reducing weight and environmental impacts. Designed for leisure and commercial markets with a large sociable cockpit for up to 10 people and extensive galley facilities, open or enclosed cockpit – several variants are available to allow for bespoke customization.
Electric Sailboats
Fountaine Pajot Aura 51
Fountaine Pajot • France
The largest non-flybridge sailing catamaran in the FP range, the Aura 51 is designed for sailors who aspire to experience cruising with a capital C for comfort. It has cutting-edge electric propulsion technology developed exclusively by Fountaine Pajot and ODSeaLab with 2 x 25 kW motors, 2×32 kWh batteries, hydrogeneration and up to 2,000 w generated by integrated solar panels. All on-board production and energy expenditure flows are managed from a single console with a simple, designer user experience. The system gives priority to the use of renewable energies at all times.
Retrofitted / Customized / DIY Electric Boats
Vital Spark – Paul Sparrow V3
Paul Sparrow • Scotland/UK
PlusZero is a company unlocking the full promise of renewable energy, using surplus electricity produced by local renewable wind power to split water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis. Vital Spark is a unique front steer 3 point hydrofoil. Designed for sharp fast turns the foil system offers incredible efficiency through the water. Powered by a 6kw electric motor linked to a small battery and a 5Kw I.E. fuel cell stack with the hydrogen stored at low pressure in a compact and energy dense solid state metal hydride canister (Ab5). The hull is designed for speeds up to 50 knots.
PlusZero
Electric Workboats
EF-12 Workboat
Artemis Technologies • UK
The world’s first 100% electric foiling commercial workboat, this multipurpose workboat provides a solution for ports and harbours to help decarbonise their operations. Carrying 6 passengers with a top speed of 31 kt, cruising speed of 25 kt and foiling range of 55 nM, it produces zero emissions in operation, requires minimal servicing in contrast to conventional diesel engines and provides a more sustainable way to operate efficiently without contributing to air pollution in busy waterways. With ultra-fast charging capability, a full charge can be achieved in less than 60 minutes, allowing for seamless and uninterrupted journeys.
Electric Commercial Passenger Vessels: In Operation
hyke Shuttle 0001
hyke (Hydrolift Smart-City Ferries) • Norway
Hyke has launched a new passenger shuttle service in the city of Fredrikstad in Østfold county in eastern Norway. The 10 tonne 15-metre-long and 5.7-metre-wide vessel has a power output of between 60 kW and 150 kW, depending on the version. The batteries have gross capacities of between 95 kWh and 285 kWh. It is equipped with solar panels on the roof and can be automatically charged wirelessly. Maximum speed is 15 knots (28 km/h), and energy consumption is ten to twelve kWh per hour at a speed of six knots.
Electric Commercial Passenger Vessels: In Development
Wada Hoppah 58
Wada Hoppah • USA
Inland, clean marine transportation at its finest. Wakeless, shallow draft (17″), all electric with solar panels, hold forty+ passengers. Made for rivers, shallow harbors and inland water ways, this gorgeous, wakeless, electric water shuttle was made to remake those waterways with limited dredging, variable shallow depths, low bridges, and lots of pleasure boating marine activity that can’t be waked, like rowers, kayakers, or paddleboarders. Perfect for coastal cities with major river waterways that want electric commuting. Also for those with worsening flooding issues as Wada Hoppah can double as a large passenger rescue vessel with its ability to get 10 miles with forty occupants in water as low as 17″.
See the Gussies award winners here
Jeff Butler is based in Toronto and is the Editor/Publisher of plugboats.com, the international website covering everything electric boats and boating. He is also President of the Electric Boat Association of Canada.
