Marine

Auto-stabilizing SeaBubble fuel cell hydrofoil unveiled in Cannes

Auto-stabilizing SeaBubble fuel cell hydrofoil unveiled in Cannes
The SeaBubble is claimed to smoothly and quietly cruise at a speed of 18 knots (21 mph or 33 km/h)
The SeaBubble is claimed to smoothly and quietly cruise at a speed of 18 knots (21 mph or 33 km/h)
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According to the SeaBubble's designers, one 4-minute charge at a hydrogen gas station should be good for a runtime of 2.5 hours
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According to the SeaBubble's designers, one 4-minute charge at a hydrogen gas station should be good for a runtime of 2.5 hours
The SeaBubble is claimed to smoothly and quietly cruise at a speed of 18 knots (21 mph or 33 km/h)
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The SeaBubble is claimed to smoothly and quietly cruise at a speed of 18 knots (21 mph or 33 km/h)
Passengers enter and exit via two gull-wing doors
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Passengers enter and exit via two gull-wing doors
The first life-size version of the SeaBubble, on display at the Cannes Yachting Festival
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The first life-size version of the SeaBubble, on display at the Cannes Yachting Festival
View gallery - 4 images

Back in 2019 we heard about the sleek electric Bubble Taxi, a five-seat enclosed hydrofoil created by French manufacturer SeaBubbles. The company has now announced a bigger and faster model, simply called the SeaBubble.

Unveiled in full-size form this month at the Cannes Yachting Festival, the SeaBubble is 8 meters long by 3.5 m wide (26.25 by 11.5 ft ft), accommodates up to 12 passengers, is propelled by two 45-kW motors, and is powered by a hybrid system incorporating both hydrogen fuel cells and a lithium-ion battery pack.

Once the craft reaches a speed of 10 knots (12 mph or 19 km/h), its composite fiber hull is raised 60 cm (24 in) out of the water on three automatically deployed carbon fiber foils – one in the front, two in the back. It can then smoothly cruise at a speed of 18 knots (21 mph or 33 km/h).

According to the designers, one 4-minute charge at a hydrogen gas station should be good for a runtime of 2.5 hours when travelling at that speed. Its top speed is 22 knots (25 mph or 41 km/h).

The first life-size version of the SeaBubble, on display at the Cannes Yachting Festival
The first life-size version of the SeaBubble, on display at the Cannes Yachting Festival

Like the Bubble Taxi, the SeaBubble utilizes gyroscopic and altitude sensors to measure pitch and roll angles constantly, automatically stabilizing itself accordingly. Some of its other features include gull-wing doors, heating/air conditioning, and a fly-by-wire system. Optional extras include an audio system, higher-quality seats, an anti-fouling system, and tinted windows.

There's currently no word on price, although SeaBubbles has stated that the first units are already in production.

Source: SeaBubbles

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1 comment
1 comment
Claudio
can it cruise with any reasonable sea condition or is it limited by it, once the waves reach a certain height?