With the case for operational efficiency in yachting increasingly gaining traction, tender company JP RIBS and designer Kit Carlier Design have created an all-electric tender.

“There’s other electric tenders out there, but their green credentials come at the price of severely curtailed performance,” says JP RIBS director, Jonathan Edgar.

“The tender we’ve designed is 100% electric - not a hybrid - and performs to a high level, making it a real candidate to replace diesel tenders on board,” adds designer Kit Carlier.

With low emissions a pertinent topic for many owners, the pair have been careful to to ensure the entire build process is environmentally friendly with a low-carbon end product, in keeping with its 100% Pure New Zealand origin.

Designer, Carlier’s keen interest in new technologies led him to develop the concept.

“After taking a Tesla Model S for a drive, with its combination of epic performance undertaken in silence and luxury, with no emissions and low running costs. I began to questioned why we hadn’t seen something similar in the marine industry at this level,” says Carlier.

Frustrated with hybrid electric tenders currently on the market, which act more as showpieces than everyday guest tenders, due to their slow speed, short run times and lack of aesthetic tie-in to the mothership, Carlier created a concept that was gentle on the environment without compromising on performance.

The jet-driven tender will reach maximum speeds of 35 knots with a one-hour range at that speed, and two-hour range at 20 knots cruising speed. The lightweight vessel can be built as a 6.2m model, or 8.2m.

The benefits of the design are immediately obvious to guests, once on board. There is no need for petrol or diesel to run the tender and this means no exhaust fumes or fuel residue in the water when idling or diving, and virtually silent running, bar the sound of waves on the hull. For the owner, the tender is cost-effective to maintain and operate, and recharges from the mothership.

It’s been designed to fit easily into most tender garages and is even compliant with the stringent new US emissions legislation. Every aspect of the build has been designed holistically, from the materials used in its construction, through to finishes, and propulsion. The team was determined to create a truly green build, without detriment to the final build quality and performance.

The concept is build-ready with full naval architecture in place with the build team onsite during the Singapore Yacht Show 2016 from 7-10 April.

Profile links

Kit Carlier Design

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.