Aug 31

Aug 31 Vision Marine Technologies and Shaun Torrente Amp Up the Electric Speed Boat Record

Right before the Lake of the Ozark Shootout this year, there were a few teasers online about an electric boat that was to take a shot at the electric speed record set by the Jaguar Vector tunnel boat in partnership with Williams Engineering; that boat did 88.6 MPH. The story came out in full with a fantastic interview by Ray Lee of Speedboat Magazine, who interviewed Alex, the CEO of Vison Marine Technologies and Shaun Torrente, the offshore and F1 racing champion, who also has a company that makes incredible performance products. He was the perfect guy to be part of the project for so many reasons. Let’s look at what they accomplished and why it’s important.

When you see the performance of electric cars from companies like Rimac, Tesla, and Porsche, you get a little disappointed in that 88 MPH record previously set. A Tesla Model S Plaid will break your neck if your not ready for it, and a Porsche Taycan can destroy a track as well as any other sport sedan available. Electric cars are astonishing when it comes to torque and acceleration. Boats are a different challenge, the constant load, resistance and need for sustained power make boat speed records a challenge. That said, you need a fast hull, and the ability to spin a prop with lots of power to a reasonable RPM, all things an electric powertrain can do. Enter Vision Marine Technologies and their outboard electric motor.

Clean and mean, I like how they went with an understated look. The HellKat looks modern and the Vision motors are sharing the top cowl as the general market 180 E. (photo credit Tom Leigh - Speedboat Magazine)

Focused on the general market, any good marketer knows you have to capture attention and tell a really good story for people to listen. I was always surprised when the companies that were doing electric boats seemed to want to focus on the most boring boats possible, instead of getting people excited. Alex Mongeon, the CEO of Vision Marine Technologies had a great idea; build a compelling performance boat, team up with an incredible team, and smash the world record on a big stage. That’s marketing.

Vision is aiming for the general market with the 180 E outboard, seen here on a Bruce 22. (photo credit: Vision Marine Technologies)

One thing I love about this story is the layers to the story. Vision commissioned a 32’ Hellkat catamaran for the boat, a great idea to spark interest and go fast. The owner of Hellkat Powerboats, Rey Marino, tragically passed away last November in Miami, where his company was based. For Marino and the legacy of Hellkat Powerboats this is an incredible acknowledgment to what he was working on. And to have Shaun Torrente as part of the project, who is a Miami guy and friend of Rey’s, the story comes full circle in a way. When Shaun talks to Ray Lee in the interview it’s impossible to ignore his passion for the project.

The 32’ HellKat was a great option to capture attention and set the electric speed record. The boat ran 109 MPH at the shootout at Lake of the Ozarks. (photo: Vision Marine Technologies).

Of course, you know if they’re showing up to Lake of the Ozarks, they weren’t just going to beat the record, they were going to destroy it, especially when you hear some of the specs; offshore style heavy duty mid section, custom steering with wing plates, custom lower unit, two 700 volt batteries, with the max motor output of 340 HP and 300 HP sustained. This setup weighs about 200 Lbs less than a comparable gas outboard. Some of the trick stuff like the inverter setup, cooling system, and rigging are really cool. Shaun used his STR Dynamic jack plate, an electric system with a settings controller. Because STR has a full machine shop, everything is custom and built just for the boat. It looks incredible.

Shaun Torrente from Ray Lee’s interview talking about the custom hardware on the 32’ HellKat with the Vision Marine Technologies outboard. This one is putting out up to 340 HP, with a custom mid section and steering system. Shaun and his team did some great work to make sure the old record was electrocuted.

The motor setup was conservative, only turning 5,600 RPM but with serious power, the 32’ Hellkat eclipse the 100 MPH mark, hitting 104 MPH initially then 109 MPH later. I imagine a small adjustment made that possible, Shaun mentioned possibly running 32” to 34” Dewald props, so maybe the 34” props did the trick. Possibly because of the battery weight or design, the boat ran a tunnel tab for added lift, but he did say the overall weight was 4,600 Lbs, which is slightly less than his Super Stock race boat at 4,900 Lbs, which is amazing.

The consumer 180 E from Vision shares the top cowling with the custom version on the HellKat. (photo credit: Vision Marine Technologies)

An important project to capture peoples attention and elevate Vision Marine Technologies brand, although they are focused on the consumer market right now and working with large boat manufacturers. Some might not like the idea of electric but as we’ve seen in cars, EV’s can be insane. Anyone can see the advantages of an electric motor, 90% efficiency, compact with few moving parts, incredible torque and power instantly. As the battery technology progresses, with faster charging, battery management and cost reduction, it’s just a matter of time before we start seeing hybrid integration and full electric in pleasure boats. I love gas engines but I’m excited to see the progress. Great job by Ray Lee on the interview with Alex and Shaun.