Vessev's VS-9 Electric Ferry Lifts Hull to Cut Drag, Targets Transit and Tourism
Vessev's VS-9 electric hydrofoil ferry lifts its hull to reduce drag, targeting transit, tourism and kit sales.
During the ride, Vessev co-founder and CEO Eric Laakmann was asked when passengers would start flying. "We already are," Laakmann said, according to TechCrunch. The transition from sailing like a regular boat to skimming the surface as a hydrofoil was subtle rather than momentous, the report said. TechCrunch's reporter wrote that the ride did not feel like flying but was a bit like riding in a sports car.
The VS-9 looks like many other catamarans on the surface, but two wing-like structures under the hull lift the boat as they slice through water. Computer-controlled underwater flaps keep the ride smooth and stable. In the VS-9, most of the lifting is done by the front foil, while about 20% is handled by the rear, according to the report. The rear foil also houses the electric motor, which Vessev makes in-house.
Laakmann said keeping production in-house is important for cost control. He said that eventually a manufacturer has to bring production in-house, so Vessev chose to do it earlier in development. The only component Vessev does not build is the battery. "Those have been commoditized," Laakmann said.
Hydrofoils have been used experimentally by shipbuilders for more than a century. The design offers lower drag and a smoother ride. Those advantages matter especially for electric boats, where every kilowatt-hour counts, because lifting the hull clear of the water allows the vessel to operate more efficiently. The VS-9's subtle shift from displacement sailing to foil-borne travel underlined how smooth a hydrofoil can be, TechCrunch reported.
The design has limits. Hydrofoils work best in waters the boat can clear while sailing on its foils. For the VS-9, that clearance is about two and a half feet, or 0.75 meters. If waves rise higher than that, they begin hitting the hull, spoiling the smooth ride and reducing efficiency. While hydrofoils are not ideal for the open ocean, they make sense for lakes, rivers and bays, according to the report.
Vessev raised a $19 million Series A in August. The company is targeting transit operations to start. Laakmann said the combination of electric propulsion and hydrofoils could bring down the cost of operating smaller vessels and make them comfortable enough to augment urban mass transit systems. In a place like New York City, such vessels could carry people to Brooklyn or Queens without requiring much new infrastructure, he said.
Hotels and tour operators are also an early target market. Public demonstrations like the one TechCrunch attended have attracted wealthy individuals looking for another toy, Laakmann said. For now, the VS-9 that TechCrunch rode is one of a kind, but Laakmann said Vessev plans to build more. Eventually, the company might shift to producing electric hydrofoil kits, allowing other boatbuilders to design their own vessels around the technology, he said.