Green Samba electric PWC in development

Lightweight electric craft moving closer to reality

We’ve been hearing quite a few rumblings about electric PWCs of late, but the latest one has really grabbed our attention – the Green Samba.

Designed by the Silveira Group, the Green Samba offers a unique take on electric personal watercraft. It’s not a typical runabout or a stand-up craft. The Green Samba is unique in the pilot is in a kneeling position. This craft is still in the design phase, but it appears a prototype will be unveiled in August.

According to a feature on Gizmag.com, the Silveira Group had been struggling to find a way to use an electric motor in a PWC with any efficiency.

“We had some sleepless nights wondering if our objectives were achievable with the current state of battery technology,” Rodrigo Silveira told Gizmag.com.

The breakthrough came when the focus was shifted from the motor to the propulsion system.  Instead of a single propulsion unit, the Green Samba uses two propulsion pods, each with an electric motor contained within.  This has proved to be a boon to the handling of the unit, as well as its efficiency. In fact, Silveria expects to get more than three hours of usage from a single charge. If that holds true (and that’s a big if), it compares very favorably to a high-horsepower runabout.

“We’re now prototyping this unit and it’ll be ready by the end of August at which time we’ll have a working unit and enough costing information to project a ballpark retail price,” says Silveira. “By the beginning of the fall we’ll have that information available and a demonstration unit that’ll do all the talking.”

Related Reading
Silveira Group launches new PWC brand
Prominent Industry Names Behind Electric PWC Project
DiMora to develop electric PWC