X Shore launches its third electric boat, entering new category

X Shore, the Swedish electric boat maker, has just unveiled its third vessel, the X Shore PRO. Built on a similar platform to its flagship Eelex 8000 electric boat, the X Shore PRO is designed for the maritime professional sector.

A commercial-focused vessel, the X Shore PRO is built for companies and organizations ranging from commercial traffic, shuttle services, diving operators, coast guards, and more.

In fact, the first X Shore PRO already sold will be used as the marine version of a school bus for transporting students in the Swedish archipelago, which is just about the most Swedish thing I’ve ever heard.

As many countries begin clamping down on diesel-powered boats, the X Shore PRO hopes to serve a growing demand for commercial electric watercraft.

Several states in the US have large lakes that have banned internal combustion engine (ICE) boats. Earlier this year Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the Fresh Coast Maritime Challenge, which provides commercial enterprises, both large and small, with a sustainable and cost-effective way to transition to electric-powered vessels.

Amsterdam has banned ICE-powered tour boats in its famous canals starting in 2025, and Norway has adopted a resolution to ban emissions from cruise ships and ferries in Norwegian World Heritage-recognized fjords after 2026.

The need for electrically powered commercial boats is no doubt growing, and models like these could fit the bill.

As X Shore CEO Jenny Keisu explained during the launch:

“The boating and shipping industries must be decarbonized and central to this mission is bringing to market viable and scalable alternatives to fossil fuel-powered vessels. The X Shore PRO is the natural evolution of our offering – our flagship Eelex showed that electric vessels can be beautiful and high performance, and the X Shore 1 makes electric boating available at a lower price point. Now, the X Shore PRO shows that electric boats can serve industry and deliver change at-scale and reach the lives of more people. We must not expect regular citizens to single handedly drive the major net zero transition we need to mitigate climate change – this change must be driven by powerful figures such as companies, cities, and politicians. In launching the PRO, X Shore is providing a valuable tool to reach sustainability targets.”

The 8 meter (26 ft) X Shore Pro has a beam of 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) and will be available in two versions, with a cabin and as an open platform.

The cabin version will have a variety of customizable interior options that can be modified to fit the specific commercial needs of different customers and industries.

Assuming it gets the same motor as the Eelex 8000, it should put out around 170 kW (228 hp) of power.

The boat uses dual battery packs with 126 kWh of capacity. X Shore is a bit coy about giving a specific range, and that makes sense considering electric boat ranges can vary much more than those of electric cars or other EVs, depending on use case. The company described the operating time using real world scenarios, explaining “If you decide you want to enjoy a calm day cruising around in slower speeds, you can go for more than 20 hours. If you want to take your friends out and show off the capacity of your new electric X Shore boat, you can go for cruising speed in one and a half hour.

When it comes to speed, that’s a bit more absolute. The boat is listed as having a top speed of 30+ knots and a cruising speed of 20 knots.

The X Shore Pro marks a return to the company’s larger platform after last year’s unveiling of the smaller and more cost effective X Shore 1.

It’s not yet clear what the pricing will be for the new model, though the X Shore Eelex 8000 that shares much of the PRO’s design starts from €249,000 (approximately US $268,000) before taxes and shipping.