As the year comes to a close, we have much to celebrate. Nova Luxe was an idea in 2017, a well formulated plan in 2018, an electric tender at the Miami boat show in 2019 and a full-fledged electric yacht in June of 2019. The yacht has been thoroughly tested by its owner, completing a trip from Tampa to the Bahamas and back again. Soon it will be leaving Tampa and heading to Miami. Will electric propulsion work on a yacht of this size is no longer a question. Can Nova Luxe deliver, is no longer a question.
In two months, we’ll bring the Aquila 44 by Nova Luxe to the Miami Yacht Show. You may have seen the Nova Luxe team on the 12’ Zar tender with laminated pictures of popular power cats as electric. If you thought we were crazy, I don’t blame you. It would have taken a giant leap of faith for a buyer to say, “Nice dingy, I’ll take the million dollar yacht from your flyer.” At this years Miami show, you can purchase the already built “First Edition”. Or, you can take the very small leap of faith and ask us to re-fit a similarly sized power cat. We have the team assembled, we’ve done it once and we will we do it again.
We have learned a lot from operating the yacht over the last six months. One aspect the owner loves is the over sized solar array roof. This paired with a 10kw lithium house bank allows the owner to run the house load without running the generator. It’s a great system and we are offering it as separate product for diesel yachts. Call for a Quote 347-502-5332.
We also heard from many potential customers who want electric but have a few concerns. Most relevant was redundancy for blue water applications. The Torqeedo Deep Blue system does have redundancy built in, power can bypass the high voltage battery and flow directly to the motors from the generator and it has two motors controlled separately. However, full redundancy goes a bit farther. To achieve this, we recommend a different hybrid approach with two completely different systems in each hull. We leave the diesel motor in one hull and place electric in the other. This configuration also addresses the lessor concern, “how can I outrun a storm?” Storm outrunning is a fool’s plan and the best strategy is to hire a weatherman familiar with your area who can recommend routes to avoid storms. That’s how seasoned sailors address the problem. In any case, leaving a diesel in one hull will provide a higher top speed for ‘storm running’ or simply high-speed cruising (the more likely application).
Finally, building electric yachts is a business that I truly believe will make the world a better place. It reduces our carbon output and pollution associated with diesel while at the same time offers a better product for enjoyment. This while great, is only one piece of the puzzle. At Nova Luxe we donate a portion of proceeds in ways that directly benefit the natural world. This year, Nova Luxe donated to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. My late grandfather Anthony, would describe a waste of money by saying, “It’s for the birds.” He was a king among men, a first generation American who built a better life for his family but like many from his generation he assumed birds and other animals as a given. Today, we know that assumption to be false and must attack the problem with same ferocity that are processors conquered issues of their era.
Sincerely,
Marc Hawxhurst
President, Nova Luxe Yachts
