If you want good range in your electric watercraft, you need to eliminate drag. That’s the thinking behind the WaveFlyer Volaré, which launches in Sydney this weekend. Smaller than some jet skis, it hovers over water for a smooth, quiet ride.
When I last wrote about WaveFlyer in 2019, it was a prototype hydrofoil system mounted on a jet ski. The Volaré looks like a small, sleek tender boat, with two people sitting side by side, and a 7-inch digital dashboard and control joystick diplomatically centered.
Like most hydrofoils, the Volaré has electric propulsion units behind retractable wings that lift it flush with the hull for shallow water operations and transport. Whereas the prototype looked incredibly balanced with two inline foil blades front and rear, the production machine was equally incredible with two blades side by side towards the back. It looks like it’s balanced.
Electronautic
Underwater, these blades are connected to the actual foil wings that perform the lifting task. The rear is bent into an anhedral ‘A-tail’ shape, which Electro Nautic claims to be a world first and boasts ‘unparalleled active stability and manoeuvrability’. Both foils have control surfaces on the trailing edge, which is how this beast is steered when on stilts. The company notes that this foil shape leaves no wingtips sticking out on either side that could chop up swimmers or marine life, but we think the main blades will impress quite a bit with speed.
As with all hydrofoils, the Volaré flight process is too complex to be done manually. It’s less than 70 cm (2.3 ft) above the water, but it’s not comfortable to lose your balance and plunge into the water at a top speed of 40 km/h (25 mph). That’s why we use a fly-by-wire control system that allows the aircraft to be balanced at all times.
The control system offers two different modes when you’re on the wheel: Cruise mode, which focuses on keeping everyone comfortable and safe, and swinging things around a bit to bank into fast turns. This is a performance mode in which the Provides sharper, more responsive handling. This is a lot of fun.
Electronautic
The fly-by-wire system also supports remote control, so you can use your phone app to treat WaveFlyer like a giant radio-controlled boat. Electro Nautic primarily markets this feature to rental operators. Rental operators can use it to guide the boat to safety if the pilot falls. For the same reason, it has a built-in geo-fencing feature that allows you to keep Volaré away from certain areas and restrict it to others.
At 290 cm (9.5 ft) long and 125 cm (4.1 ft) wide, it takes up as much space in your trailer or cabin as a jet ski. They can be launched and landed on a boat ramp or dragged onto the sand. With the foil up and running as a normal floater, you can pack 250 kg (550 lbs), but go very slowly, reaching about a quarter of your range, and it’s hard to get the amphibian out of the water. Everyone will find that the body is too weak.
As for range and durability, these are related to battery size, which in turn is related to price. The base model is 1.5 hours, up to 35 km (22 miles) and costs US$49,990. There is a $54,990 3 hour/65 km (40 mile) version, and the top of the range offers aspiring King Dingalings 4.5 hours and 100 km (62 miles) for $59,990.
Electronautic
The latter is a pretty solid day out – not to mention a pretty solid price tag. will also be expensive. In addition, most are electric, which significantly increases the cost of battery packs in particular.
But as many hydrofoils as we’ve covered over the years, they’re still extremely rare and a sight to behold. – Able to provide a supernaturally smooth ride over choppy water, radically extending the range possible from a given battery, nearly silent and leaving little wakefulness, so locals and wildlife alike You can get on the pleasure boat without emitting exhaust gas. Plus, they look like they’re having a lot of fun. There is certainly a market for this gear.
Pre-orders are open now, with the official launch expected this weekend. Electro Nautic says it will begin delivering WaveFlyers this year. Watch the short video below. Demonstrates the behavior of a single-seat prototype.
Electro Nautic WaveFlyer & WaveDrive Overview
Source: Electronautic
