Porsche to conquer waterways with $655,000 electric speedboat

The Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air will use the same electric platform as the Macan SUV.

The Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, southern Germany, where the car manufacturer holds the company's annual general meeting, on June 28, 2023. (AFP)

After a stalled bid to join Formula One, Porsche AG is getting into boats. The German automaker announced on June 23 that it would develop an electric speedboat with the Austrian shipbuilder Frauscher.

Set for delivery in 2024, the Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air is an 8.7-meter (28.4-foot) day cruiser based on the Frauscher 858 Fantom Air. Studio F.A. Porsche will design the helm stand and outfit the interior trimmings including seats and upholstery, while the boat will share its drive technology with the upcoming electric Porsche Macan. It will be built in the Frauscher Shipyard in Ohlsdorf, Austria.

The vessel isn't Porsche's first foray into watercraft. In 2008, Porsche Design, the studio and brand Ferdinand Alexander Porsche founded in 1972, released the Porsche Fearless 28, a speedboat made to resemble the Porsche Carrera GT supercar. That one was powered by the same V-10 engine used in the Dodge Viper. (The design studio became a subsidiary of Porsche AG in 2003 and was officially renamed Studio F.A. Porsche in 2015.) Volkswagen Group's most profitable marque has also promoted a 22-foot boat made by Seven Seas Yachts called the Hermes Speedster, which was made to evoke the Porsche 356 vintage car. The company is currently investigating further applications for its powertrain in other boat sizes.

Automotive brands from Aston Martin and Bugatti to Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati have collaborated on oceangoing crafts as well. Henrik Fisker, who developed the Fisker Karma EV, designed a $37 million superyacht with Benetti in 2016. Last year, Lamborghini created a $3.5 million yacht with Technomar. Those partnerships focused largely on combining aesthetics and branding.

Porsche is promising something different: a boat using electric technology designed for roadgoing vehicles. The Porsche Fantom Air, which is limited to 25, uses the same electric platform—what Porsche calls its Premium Platform Electric (PPE)—as the Macan EV due at dealerships in 2024; that includes a lithium-ion battery with a total capacity of around 100 kilowatt-hours, an electric motor and other related power electronics linked to the 800-volt technology. The Macan is Porsche North America's most popular vehicle, selling 23,688 units last year, or 33% of total sales.

The boat will accommodate nine people, who can enjoy a swimming platform, sun lounge, premium sound system and refrigerator while on board. As with the future Macan EV, owners of the Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air can charge it at DC fast-charging stations or via AC charging.

Porsche declined to specify performance specifics including the cruising range and duration for charging. Max power and speed are also looming question marks, as most electric boats today are comparatively heavy and suited only for casual cruising. The Duffy 18 Snug Harbor, for instance, has a top speed of 6 miles per hour. The Hinckley Dasher of 2017 used twin 80-horsepower motors powered by 40kWh BMW i3 lithium-ion batteries; it has a range of about 40 miles (35 nautical miles) at a cruising speed of 7 knots (8 mph).

Still, it's a lucrative market for electric boats emulating the “Tesla” of watercraft. Arc One, announced in 2022, boasts a 220kWh battery size, nearly three times the capacity of a Tesla Model Y. That one can run for three to five hours on a single charge. A company called X Shore AB is raising funds to produce a net-zero emissions boat by 2030.

High-powered luxury electric boats are more rare: A 38-foot Electric Cigarette in 2013 used 12 Mercedes-AMG electric motors to achieve 2,251 horsepower and 2,213 pound-feet of torque. That was a one-off concept. By comparison, the original 858 Fantom Air boasts 430 cv (423 horsepower) on its V-8 engine and a cruising speed approaching 45 knots.

A Porsche spokesperson says the automaker's boat will likely cost around €600,000 ($655,000). The Frauscher 858 Fantom Air on which it's based starts at $250,000 new and costs around $300,000 on the used market. More information and images will be available in September, according to the spokesperson. While Porsche is accepting orders, the boat has not yet sold out.