A New Vision for Electric Performance Boating
“The impetus was to build a different boat,” says Volare COO and co-founder Dustin Tupper. “That’s where the electric and the foiling came from. But ultimately it resulted in just a better boat.”
Tupper and co-founder Matt Moore are longtime friends and fellow boat builders in North Carolina. Moore recently led the yacht division for Scout Boats while Tupper led Scout’s engineering team. Together, their desire to create something different from the typical fuel-powered day boat led to the Volare Artemis23, built upon a lightweight, semi-foiling catamaran hull designed specifically for electric propulsion. That propulsion system is based on a 48-volt battery system for each of the two low-profile engines.
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48-Volt Electric Propulsion: Power, Torque and Speed
“It’s 25 kilowatts each,” notes Moore. “That’s equivalent to—and this is where it gets tricky—66 horsepower.” That may not seem like much, but Moore says that’s the point. The high-performance engines can do the same things as a 200-hp engine. “It’s functional,” Moore says. “The torque is incredible.”
I can attest to that. The instant acceleration caught me off guard as the boat reached 23 mph within two seconds. It gets up on the foil at 12 mph; at 20 mph, the boat can power along for 40 miles. Full speed reaches 30 mph and a longer range is achieved with added battery packs that are mounted in the hulls.
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Semi-Foiling Catamaran Hull Design for Maximum Efficiency
The Artemis23 also has a “semi-foiling” assist setup between the catamaran hulls designed to give the boat lift for increased efficiency and a smoother ride. “It gets a lot of the boat out of the water and reduces drag,” says Moore.
At the helm, the Optimus 360 joystick control gives 360-degree maneuverability. The electric direct-drive system allows the engine’s lower pod to turn 90 degrees from side to side so the boat can spin on its own axis. The low-end maneuverability is huge when it comes to docking.
Modular Deck Layout Designed for Social Boating
On deck, the open, modular design offers three separate social areas with plenty of room for every activity from watersports to cocktail cruising. A full beam swim platform with an island baitwell/storage unit includes stowable safety doors to close off the cockpit. Spacious seating in the bow, extra-wide helm seating with footrest and cooler storage, an aft-facing cockpit lounge along with an optional T-top, bow and cockpit shades will make any day out comfortable and enjoyable. So does the three-zone Fusion audio system. And when you’re done, just load it up on the trailer until you’re ready to do it all again.
The creative and innovative minds of the Volare team have developed a model that is not only quiet, efficient, and has a smooth ride, but also makes operation easy with intelligent systems and minimal maintenance. Electric propulsion is finally coming up to speed, and the Artemis23 is proof. volareboats.com
