For several years now, French company SeaBubbles has been turning heads with its fully-enclosed Bubble battery-electric hydrofoil water taxi. Well, that li'l boat now has a significantly bigger and faster brother, in the form of the Smart Bubble.
We first heard about the original Bubble back in 2021, when it made its US debut in Miami.
At low speeds, that vessel moves through the water like any other boat, courtesy of a two-propeller electric drive system. It seats four passengers plus one pilot, and measures 5 meters long by 2.5 m wide (16.4 by 8.2 ft).
Once the Bubble reaches a speed of 6 knots (7 mph or 11 km/h), its composite fiber hull is raised out of the water on three automatically deployed carbon fiber foils – one in the front, and two in the back. It then cruises at a speed of 12 knots (14 mph or 22 km/h), utilizing gyroscopic and altitude sensors to constantly measure pitch and roll angles, automatically stabilizing itself accordingly.
Because its hull isn't in the water at cruising speed, the Bubble isn't affected by waves as much as conventional boats – resulting in a smoother ride – plus it's subjected to significantly less drag, boosting its range. It also produces less of a wake than a traditional boat.
Additionally, because the Bubble is electric, it isn't as noisy as internal combustion watercraft, it doesn't produce any carbon emissions, and is relatively inexpensive to operate. It has already entered commercial use in France.
All of this brings us to the Smart Bubble, which was recently unveiled at the Cannes Yachting Festival. It is not the same model as the hybrid-drive prototype that was presented at the same festival in 2022.
The Smart Bubble is essentially a larger and faster version of the base Bubble, measuring 8 m long by 3.5 m wide (26.2 by 11.5 ft). It seats seven passengers plus one pilot, and cruises at 16 knots (18 mph or 30 km/h). Because it's heavier than the Bubble, it "takes off" at a slightly higher speed of 10 knots (12 mph or 19 km/h).
We're told that one charge of the display model's 90-kWh battery pack is good for about 1.25 hours of cruising. A longer-range 130-kWh model is in the works.
The boat incorporates four new patented technologies, including retractable foils. It's also worth noting that SeaBubbles recently acquired maritime mobility company Neocean, with an eye towards further developing that firm's unique foiling technology.
We will doubtless hear more about the Smart Bubble and its features as it nears commercial production. In the meantime, you can see the prototype in electric hydrofoiling action, in the silent video below.
Source: SeaBubbles
