Marine

Narke's Electrojet aims to clean up the reputation of jet skis

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Hungarian company Narke is pushing ahead to get the world's first production electric PWC onto the market
Narke
The Narke Electrojet gets a demo run in Lake Balaton
Narke
Narke Electrojet: modestly powered electric jet ski
Narke
Hungarian company Narke is pushing ahead to get the world's first production electric PWC onto the market
Narke
Narke Electrojet: nifty digital dash
Narke
Narke Electrojet: angular carbon composite body
Narke
Narke Electrojet: multiple pickup points
Narke
Narke Electrojet: seats 2-3
Narke
Narke Electrojet: just 60 horsepower will put it at the anaemic end of the PWC market
Narke
Narke Electrojet: emissions-free and silent wave hopping fun
Narke
Narke Electrojet: on the water in prototype form
Narke
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Hungarian company Narke claims it's building the world's first electric personal watercraft (PWC) designed for proper series production. The Electrojet is a 60-hp (45-kW), carbon-bodied electric sit-down jet ski capable of doing 35 mph (55 km/h) in near silence.

We've written before about Free Form Factory's electric stand-up PWC, but little has come of this design since the company was acquired by Nikola Powersports. So until those guys get something to market, we're happy to let Narke's claim stand.

The Electrojet is a simple enough idea: a jet ski, but electric. It uses an in-house 45-kW electric motor design and a lithium-ion battery pack of indeterminate size, which the company claims is good for up to 90 minutes of "normal" riding.

Mind you, with such a modestly powered PWC (and modest is a very kind way to put it), normal use is going to involve a ton of full throttle. It'll be interesting to see just what kind of endurance riders really get out of these.

Narke Electrojet: emissions-free and silent wave hopping fun
Narke

Charging takes about two hours from 0-80 percent, and there's talk of a removable battery you can swap out to keep the thing humming. The starkly angular shell is a carbon-reinforced composite design, targeting high strength and low weight, but no weight figures are available yet.

It seats two, maybe three if you're skinny, and it's got a nice digital dash display with what looks like some Bluetooth smartphone integration built in for navigation, weather and phone features.

Narke Electrojet: nifty digital dash
Narke

Narke has a number of these things built in prototype form, and has been running some demo events at Lake Balaton, about half an hour southwest of Budapest. No firm dates or prices are available on the production model as yet.

The key problem we're seeing is as simple as this: it might not be fast enough, or go far enough, for the average PWC buyer. Narke claims it's "for special people who get attention not because they are louder than others … who know when to let off the gas and when to throttle back gently." Stereotypically, these descriptions would apply to approximately zero jet ski buyers.

Still, we remain convinced that electric propulsion will revolutionize this segment as totally as wheeled transport and aviation in the long run, and the idea of silent, emissions-free PWCs is music to our ears … as long as they stay well clear of swimmers.

Check out the promo video below.

Source: Narke via EVNerds

View gallery - 10 images
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7 comments
Gizmowiz
And still no Yamaha Raider electric cruiser from Japan and there never will be.
paul314
So can they put a speaker on it to make noise and get people's attention? Maybe flying saucer sounds.
Josh!
@paul314 I'm pretty sure it comes with a horn.
george55
I believe Jet Ski is a trademark owned by Kawasaki -- referring to their specific personal or recreational watercraft offering.
Derek Howe
Awesome, love seeing more & more things turn electric.
JeffK
I think it's a great idea. I don't own a snowmobile, dirt bike, PWC or other loud recreational vehicles, because they're loud. I don't go to the mountains and lakes to see how much noise that can be generated and unwanted attention garnered. My adrenaline levels are just fine thank you and thirty MPH with your behind six inches above the water is plenty fast. I suspect there is an untapped market of folks that would love some recreational transportation that can run in stealth mode. You might even be able to see some views of the wildlife other than their tail ends as they run off. That said, I sure wish these e-vehicle makers would can the musical sound track in their demo videos to highlight just how quiet their products are.
guzmanchinky
"Stereotypically, these descriptions would apply to approximately zero jet ski buyers"
best line ever.