Takeaway 1: Electric boating a few years behind electric cars
Electric boating is probably somewhere between 5 - 10 years behind electric cars when it comes to technology and consumer interest.
So when the car giants, like Volkswagen and GM are phasing out all fossil technology in the next 5-10 years, that could be a pointer for the boating industry about where we are heading.
The trend for motors this year was clearly quite large outboard gas-motors, and all the coolest boats had at least two of them, if not three.
I kind of like them. I mean. I love speed. And I love acceleration. And I also confident that we will soon have electric motors that perform even better than their fossil counterparts.
And it doesn’t have to take forever to establish the market. In Norway 10 years ago, electric cars had a market share of less than 2 percent. Today, 10 years later, we’re at 80 percent.
There were already 8 boats with electric powertrains present at the fair this year. And I mean, some time ago there were none.
Takeaway 2: Everyone seems to think there is a green shift coming
There is, however, a huge difference in how people seem to analyze the short term and the long term perspective in the boat market.
Asking people to describe how they think the situation will be in say 2040 or 2050, most people believe a green shift has happened. It is inevitable given all the drivers in the market.
But in the short term, people tend to focus on all the barriers. There is hassle with the batteries, charging infrastructure, reach, price and so forth.
So, we face this paradox right now: Sustainable electric boating is seen as both inevitable and impossible at the same time.
Takeaway 3: People caring about sustainable boating should cooperate with the established industry
Many of the folks in the environmental movement do not seem to understand where the pushback is coming from.
Yes, the development has to be pushed by start-ups and new players with sustainability as a core element in their business model.
But, as market research suggests, most groundbreaking industrial shifts are achieved through a cooperation between new players and the cutting-edge expertise in the traditional industry,
The Electric Boating Business Network on a mission to help both sides engage in a meaningful dialogue that would benefit Norway and the entire industry.
