Here’s how Swedish electric boat maker X Shore is accelerating its US access

X Shore, an electric boat maker based in Stockholm, just announced plans to make its electric boats available in marinas across the United States.

The new partnership with Safe Harbor Marinas will give its members exclusive access to X Shore’s flagship Eelex 8000 electric boats at locations in San Diego, Charleston, Montauk, Newport, West Palm Beach, and other locations throughout its network.

The partnership should help drastically increase the X Shore Eelex 8000’s reach across the US, according to X Shore CEO Jenny Keisu:

We are thrilled to be partnering with Safe Harbor Marinas to encourage more boating enthusiasts to experience 100% silent, high-performance electric boats. Our organizations share a passion for the water and a deep commitment to sustainability.

Safe Harbor Marinas is the largest owner and operator of marinas in the world, and has already hosted events introducing X Shore’s Swedish-made electric boats to their network.

Now this new partnership will increase access to these boats to members of the world’s largest boating network.

As Safe Harbor Marinas vice president of partnerships and experiences explained:

The enthusiasm from our Members about the X Shore program is noticeable. Through our nationwide events, Safe Harbor Experiences, the Members have had the opportunity to experience these environmentally friendly electric boats firsthand. As a direct result, they are highly anticipating the addition of this amenity to our different marinas across the country. Our partnership with X Shore will continue to have a positive impact on the future of the marine industry.

Electric boats, being boats, are notoriously expensive. The Eelex 8000 is priced at around US $330,000, though X Shore also recently unveiled a lower cost electric boat known as the X Shore 1 designed to cut that price by more than half.

Because of the high cost of boat ownership, including electric boats, boat networks have become a popular way to get new electric boats out into the wild.

X Shore also recently landed a major $30M funding round designed to help the company sail toward expected profitability in 2024.

The investment round was led by SEB Investment Management AB, and was also supported by several existing and new shareholders.

X Shore says it will use the new funding to scale its production in an effort to reach profitability.

Electrek’s Take

I think these kinds of access programs are wonderful since high purchase prices mean that very few people actually get to experience innovative electric boat technology first hand. Once you try it though, you never want to go back to combustion engine boating.

Of course this is still an exclusive operation. Boating networks aren’t exactly great equalizers. They’re great for folks who are rich but not “boat rich.”

Even so, let’s be honest. These types of high-end electric boats are currently only for those with money. It was the same way with Tesla a decade ago, when the first ones mostly went to doctors and lawyers. But now the technology and production has matured to the point where any ol’ Joe Schmoe is driving around in a reasonably affordable Tesla. That could be the electric boating industry one day.

Until then though, it’s great that people who can’t afford a third of a million-dollar boat can still get the chance to take one out on a day cruise with their family.