Affordable Chinese electric catamaran

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【Summary】This article highlights a luxury 2-seater electric catamaran from China that is surprisingly cheap, priced at $7,500. The boat features upholstered seats, a center console, and a pontoon-style setup with an awning canopy. However, there are concerns about the lack of information regarding the electric motor's power and the battery bank's specifications. The authenticity of the product is also questioned, as the images seem to be taken from an Abu Dhabi resort's website.

FutureCar Staff Nov 04, 2023 11:17 PM PT

If you're in the market for an electric catamaran to take out on the lake or ocean, I've come across one that you might find interesting. It's featured in our weekly column, Awesome Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week. While I don't recommend actually purchasing it, it's still enjoyable to admire!

What sets this electric boat apart is its luxurious vibe. We've seen some inexpensive e-boats on Alibaba before (I even bought one myself), but this one looks sleek compared to the rest.

That might explain why it's priced at $7,500, which is about 7.5 times the price of my own five-seater Chinese electric boat. Mine definitely didn't come with a woodgrain interior like this one!

This model features well-upholstered seats for the captain and their first mate, along with a center console that allows for control operation from either seat. This is perfect for when the captain needs to hand over the reins after having a few too many drinks.

The boat, measuring 13 ft (3.8 meters) in length, floats on a pontoon-style setup and even has a canopy stretched over the seats for shade.

It's worth considering whether a solar panel array could have been added to the canopy to extend the boat's range. However, if you're brave enough to order one online, you could easily make that addition yourself (although I don't recommend it).

We don't have any information on the power of the electric motor, but it appears to be a small trolling motor similar to those found on electric kayaks. The vendor claims a maximum speed of 8 km/h (5 mph), which is quite impressive for a small catamaran like this.

Unfortunately, the Alibaba page lacks any specifications on the battery bank, so it's difficult to determine how far you can travel on a single charge. Typically, the range of small electric boats varies depending on speed, so this boat could potentially take you quite far without leaving a large wake behind.

The vendor claims a maximum operating time of 6 hours, but this may vary depending on speed. We've seen some small electric outboard/battery setups that can run anywhere from 1 hour to over a day, depending on how much power you use.

While the product renders on the Alibaba page look impressive, it's concerning that there are no actual photos of the product. However, after conducting a reverse image search, it seems that the pictures were taken from a resort website in Abu Dhabi. It's unclear whether the resort obtained the boats from Alibaba or if Alibaba simply found a cool electric catamaran and created a misleading listing.

Regardless, it's reassuring to know that these attractive electric boats do exist somewhere and that people are enjoying them!