Toy story
Is the JETPAD electric water go-kart the superyacht toy of 2015?
It’s not easy to find a motorised product that adequately consolidates environmental concerns with the need for speed. Most products that claim to do so fall dramatically short of the mark when it comes to their capacity for raw, unadulterated fun - hampered as they are by the limitations of battery life and power output. However, the new JETPAD may be the product that breaks the mould.
Described as the ‘Toy of 2015’ by Marine Toys & Tenders, the JETPAD is an environmentally friendly, low noise, electronic, water go-kart brimming with technological safety measures.
Powered by a zero emission Brushless DC electric motor, the JETPAD is capable of reaching speeds of 37kmph and can accelerate from 0-30kmph in just three seconds. Performance markers speak for themselves, but what is truly unique about this design – aside from the go-kart design itself – is the handling. The JETPAD, as well as looking and feeling like a go-kart, also handles like one. Go-karting for those who are less familiar with the past time offers a driving experience that is seldom replicated in any other form. The ability to corner, drift and turn on a penny without a modicum of expertise is what makes the experience so entertaining.
Originally designed to fill a gap in a waning seaside rental industry, the JETPAD was created to account for rental safety issues as well fun. Many of these issues are applicable on board a superyacht when trying to guarantee the safety of young children. A ‘geofencing’ system that utilises GPS within a predefined body of water ensures that users can’t take the JETPAD beyond the predetermined zone. A permission management system ensures that only permitted individuals are able to use the JETPAD, and different users may be limited to varying velocities. A collision avoidance system does very much what it says on the tin; if two JETPADs are at large at any one time their speeds will be reduced or the engines cut completely if either unit encroaches on the others space in a dangerous manner. It is also possible to communicate with the user via an inbuilt radio system and continuously track movement, performance and energy systems, all of which can be seen on an on board seven inch LCD panel as well as on a control unit at base, be it land or superyacht. For those less accustomed to restrictions, they may also be removed.
Being environmentally friendly brings with it a host of benefits besides the obvious. Ever more frequently, luxury resorts, beaches and so on are putting noise restrictions on areas. The JETPADs low sound output, coupled with its semi-V shaped hull form mean it is perfectly comfortable in the shallow resort environment as well as on the open ocean. The one foreseeable limitation of the JETPAD is that an hours worth of battery may be too little. Fortunately spare lithium-ion batteries are available and they take as long to charge as the others take to run-down.
Described as the ‘Toy of 2015’ by Marine Toys & Tenders, the JETPAD is an environmentally friendly, low noise, electronic, water go-kart brimming with technological safety measures.
Powered by a zero emission Brushless DC electric motor, the JETPAD is capable of reaching speeds of 37kmph and can accelerate from 0-30kmph in just three seconds. Performance markers speak for themselves, but what is truly unique about this design – aside from the go-kart design itself – is the handling. The JETPAD, as well as looking and feeling like a go-kart, also handles like one. Go-karting for those who are less familiar with the past time offers a driving experience that is seldom replicated in any other form. The ability to corner, drift and turn on a penny without a modicum of expertise is what makes the experience so entertaining.
Originally designed to fill a gap in a waning seaside rental industry, the JETPAD was created to account for rental safety issues as well fun. Many of these issues are applicable on board a superyacht when trying to guarantee the safety of young children. A ‘geofencing’ system that utilises GPS within a predefined body of water ensures that users can’t take the JETPAD beyond the predetermined zone. A permission management system ensures that only permitted individuals are able to use the JETPAD, and different users may be limited to varying velocities. A collision avoidance system does very much what it says on the tin; if two JETPADs are at large at any one time their speeds will be reduced or the engines cut completely if either unit encroaches on the others space in a dangerous manner. It is also possible to communicate with the user via an inbuilt radio system and continuously track movement, performance and energy systems, all of which can be seen on an on board seven inch LCD panel as well as on a control unit at base, be it land or superyacht. For those less accustomed to restrictions, they may also be removed.
Being environmentally friendly brings with it a host of benefits besides the obvious. Ever more frequently, luxury resorts, beaches and so on are putting noise restrictions on areas. The JETPADs low sound output, coupled with its semi-V shaped hull form mean it is perfectly comfortable in the shallow resort environment as well as on the open ocean. The one foreseeable limitation of the JETPAD is that an hours worth of battery may be too little. Fortunately spare lithium-ion batteries are available and they take as long to charge as the others take to run-down.
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