Nimbus has teamed up with German motor pioneer, Torqeedo, to develop an electric version of its Coupe cruiser.

Nimbus electric 365 Coupe

The 365 is to blaze the trail for a greener Nimbus fleet.



 

The project has been inititated as part of what Nimbus calls its ‘E-power concept’. This is basically the company’s think-tank regarding the future of ecologically sound boat building, from ‘climate-smart’ materials to sustainable engineering and production methods. Hull design and optimised propulsive units are obviously a key part of that, so as a platform for the project, the Swedish builder has put forward the second largest of its four-strong Coupe range, the 365. (See also: Nimbus 405 Coupe video: first look)

That makes good sense. After all, this is the boat that won the ‘European Powerboat of the Year’ accolade in 2012 and it’s also a model with plenty of established performance data. More to the point, it is designed as an efficient, long-distance cruiser, so far from being a project of merely academic interest, the results of this new initiative are expected to be of direct practical use.

The Nimbus electric 365 Coupe will be treated to a twin Deep Blue hybrid installation with a fully integrated power management system. It will then be tested on Lake Starnberg near Munich for anything up to two years, but Joacim Gustavsson, Chief Designer at Nimbus, already has plans to apply the technology in the field: “Our intention is to build two to three boats for customers equipped with the Deep Blue Hybrid System during Autumn 2015.”

The greatest potential for the ‘Nimbus E-power Green Lake Edition’ is thought to exist in the German and Swiss markets, where recreational boating tends to happen on lakes and rivers, with restrictions (or even blanket bans) on combustion engines. A proliferation of wide canal systems, sheltered lakes and well equipped marinas means the Benelux region (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) is also seen as a market with plenty of room to expand. For more on European Canal boating, see: Five great European Cruisers.

Either way, as the dominant force in its sector, with more than 50,000 marine systems sold since its foundation in 2005, Torqeedo’s extraordinary progress shows no signs of slowing.

For more on fossil-fuel alternatives, see: Electric outboard engine questions and answers.

Written by: Alex Smith
Alex Smith is a journalist, copywriter and magazine editor with a long history in boating and a happy addiction to the water. He’s worked on boats, lived on boats, bought boats, sold boats and – when he’s not actually on board a boat – he can generally be found in his Folkestone office, tapping away at the computer and gazing out to sea.
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