As we looked at last year, French startup BlueNav has developed a rather particular kind of hubless marine e-drive with a propeller inspired by whale flippers. But while the company specializes in electric-powered hardware, it's ultimately interested in supporting the development of hybrid boats. Toward that end, it's applied its whale fin drives to the all-new Smart Hybrid Boating Solution, an add-on marine propulsion system that uses electric rim drive power at slow speeds before retracting it out of the water at higher gas-engine speeds.
The original Whale Design rim drive was one of the highlights of a 2024 heavy with biomimetic marine innovation. Inspired by the tubercles on the humpback whale's flippers, BlueNav's Whale Design propeller uses a series of bumps along the edge meant to channel water in such a way that increases thrust and improves efficiency.
After developing the Whale Design propeller, BlueNav integrated the blades into its existing BlueSpin rim drives. The hubless electric drives use a magnetically driven ring to rotate the blades, a layout BlueNav claims requires fewer components and less maintenance than a traditional prop drive while also minimizing friction and operating more quietly.
While the Whale Design-propped BlueSpin itself is quite an impressive and striking piece of design work, it was never meant to be the end-all of the powertrain story. Instead, BlueNav has designed the BlueSpin series as an augmentative plug-and-play solution for seamlessly transforming ICE-driven boats into hybrids.
At this year's Boot Düsseldorf international boat show, BlueNav put a spotlight on its next step toward bringing biomimetic hybrid power to boats across ocean and sea. The new Smart Hybrid system ties together a set of BlueSpin rim drives with accompanying software so that boat owners and builders can easily create a seamless hybrid boating experience.
The Smart Hybrid Boating Solution works with either outboard or in-hull BlueSpin rim drives, relying on their retractable turbines for seamless transition between electric and ICE propulsion. At low speeds and when docking, the BlueSpin drive handles propulsion, quickly retracting out of the way at the push of a button to cut drag and allow the ICE to take over. The switchover in either direction takes an estimated 20 seconds.
The software comes in the form of an application that runs on the boat's multifunction display. It includes advanced navigation, a virtual anchor that maintains the vessel's GPS position without a physical anchor, a heading hold for maintaining a steady course, waypoint tracking, cruise control and 360-degree docking.
"At BlueNav, we believe that the future of boating lies in simplicity, efficiency and sustainability," said CEO Xavier Lacherade. "Our Smart Hybrid Boating Solution embodies these principles, combining hardware and software to create an unparalleled user experience. By making sustainable boating more accessible, we’re inspiring a movement toward a cleaner, greener future on the water."
BlueNav offers several different motor options that can be matched to vessels of different styles and sizes. With planned 8- and 15-kW (10.7- and 20-hp) units in both outboard and in-hull configurations, the motor family is designed for use with a variety of boat types ranging between 23 and 50 feet (7 to 15 m) and weighing up to 15 tons. The 8-kW outboard, which weighs 121 lb (55 kg), became the newest member of the family when it debuted alongside the Smart Hybrid Boating Solution at the Düsseldorf show.
BlueNav stresses that it's not a battery company and does not offer a specific battery system with the Smart Hybrid solution. It encourages prospective buyers to work with their dealers on identifying the right battery chemistry and capacity for their specific usage needs.
With that in mind, the Smart Hybrid system is very much a custom-tailored solution with prices that vary accordingly. BlueNav does not publish system pricing estimates and suggests contacting it for a quote.
Source: BlueNav
