Marine

Rand aims to make electric boating a Picnic

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Rand Boats' Picnic can seat up to 10
Rand Boats
Rand Boats' Picnic is reportedly easy to use, even for novice sailers
Rand Boats
Rand Boats' Picnic can seat up to 10
Rand Boats
The Rand Picnic and Picnic Sport feature rubber fenders
Rand Boats
The Rand Picnic Sport features a steering wheel instead of a tiller
Rand Boats
The Rand Boats have 700 liters of storage
Rand Boats
The Rand Picnic and Picnic Sport can be easily towed
Rand Boats
The Rand Boats are powered by an electric outboard motor
Rand Boats
The Rand Picnic Sport features a steering wheel and adjustable table
Rand Boats
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The introduction of Rand Boats' Picnic and Picnic Sport motorboats now offers a lightweight, large-capacity, electric-powered alternative to traditional gas-powered boats. Able to seat up to 10 people and weighing in at a relatively svelte 280 kg (617 lb), both models can sail for up to 16 hours at a maximum speed of 13 km/h (8 mph) depending on the choice of motors and batteries.

Featuring a 2 x 5-meter (6.5 x 16-foot) hull made of recycled plastic bottles and wooden elements obtained entirely from sustainable forests, the Rand boats are claimed to be environmentally friendly, and require little maintenance.

Safety features include rounded hulls with protective rubber fenders and wide edges, anti-slip floors and a self-draining floor. There's also plenty of storage and capacity for a boat of this size, at 700 liters (about 25 cu. ft) and 900 kg (1,984 lb) respectively.

Owners have a choice of either lithium or gel batteries that can be charged while plugged in at the dock, removed and charged elsewhere, or charged through the boat's solar cells. The available Torqeedo electric outboard motor can be easily removed to transport back and forth between the boats when necessary.

Options include a steering wheel instead of the tiller, an adjustable table to replace the standard fixed version, a wooden deck, and multiple cushions that be stowed in the storage compartment.

Both models can be ordered off of the company website. The Picnic starts at €9,995 (approximately US$10,800) while the Picnic Sport, which includes most of the available options, is priced at €12,950 ($14,000). Motors and batteries are sold separately, depending on the buyer's preference.

The Rand Picnic and Picnic Sport join several other electric boats introduced over the last couple of years, including Sky Yacht's electric Joyboat and the Loon.

Take a look at the video below to see the Picnic model on the water.Source: Rand

View gallery - 8 images
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3 comments
mhpr262
Tesla could offer a catamaran with the 90kwh flat battery pack and the two motors from the 90D ...
Daishi
@mhpr262 An electric speed boat would still be pretty expensive and heavy. Speed boats consume a ton of fuel which would mean needing really high capacity batteries. A 24" ski boat boat uses a ~55 gal tank meaning you might need about a 400 kWh battery which itself would weigh close to 5,000 lbs (~2,000 kg).
Just towing it and moving something that heavy around the water would be a pretty big challenge.
There are specs of this one here: http://randboats.com/models/picnic#1444225088666-21450060-3200
It uses motors between 1.5 and 8 HP from torqeedo which are meant for pretty low speeds.
unklmurray
It might be nice.....But as I've said B 4 I am afraid of the water,Yeah I shower.and drink it but I do NOT swim nor do I go near the ocean......but I can see this as being a nice way to spend the day with the Family/Friends who like that sort of thing!!