E-lixr pivots business model to enable a globally unified electric water taxi network

Young electric water taxi service E-lixr is pivoting its previous business strategy to become the US’s first operator of all-electric vessels. It now seeks to support new and existing marine fleet operators with a unified platform.

E-lixr is a new company founded by Sam Payrovi and Nathalie Paiva. Together, they formed ARKHAUS, an innovative new social club on the waters of Miami, which we have covered on Electrek in the past.

For this venture, Payrovi and Paiva recruited the expertise of Aaron Leatherwood, a US Coast Guard licensed chief engineer and retired USCG Commander, who signed on as E-lixr’s director of marine operations.

During that September 2024 business announcement, E-lixr shared that it was “emerging at a crucial time, post-pandemic, as an increase in environmental awareness, urban congestion, and technological advancements have converged to create the ideal conditions for alternative transport solutions.”

Here, we learned that E-lixr’s initial transport solutions would include electric water taxi services in the US, beginning in Miami. To begin, E-lixr divulged plans to launch a pilot service of its water taxis on the waterways of Biscayne Bay this past fall, starting with two traditional Axopar vessels.

That initial rollout was its “Pre-lectric service” to begin testing taxi routes at the start of Miami’s busy tourism season before transitioning to a more sustainable marine fleet to reduce carbon emissions and noise pollution on the water.

The original plan was to introduce the nation’s first all-electric waterborne transportation service powered by its own zero-emission E-lixr vessels, designed in-house. However, an update from E-lixr today states that the startup is less focused on being the first and only electric water taxi network in the US and is now more focused on developing and supporting a universal network of vessels that will eventually extend beyond the region to a global scale.

E-LIXR looks to create a global electric water taxi network

Per a press release from E-lixr this morning, the marine mobility network has decided to pivot its business strategy away from simply becoming the first nationwide operator of all-electric water taxis. Instead, it aims to create a nationwide and international network of all-electric operators under a single, recognizable brand.

To do so, E-lixr says it will  empower new existing and fleet operators through a unified platform-based business model to enable faster scalability. Thus, E-lixr will look to position itself as a resource and enabler for current water taxi operators looking to “modernize, decarbonize, and streamline their operations.”

E-lixr says this strategy shift also enables international operators to join its planned network helping accelerating its plans for global reach and environmental impact on Earth’s waters. E-lixr co-founder and CEO Sam Payrovi elaborated:

Our goal is to make all-electric waterborne transportation accessible and ubiquitous. This approach not only benefits operators but also expedites the transition to sustainable water transportation. We’re making it as seamless as possible for operators to transition to electric. Our platform is designed to handle the heavy lifting so operators can focus on serving their customers

As part of its reimagined business strategy, E-lixr intends to establish a network of existing medium- and large-scale operators as well as individual entrepreneurs operating on smaller waterways. In regions without suitable operators, E-lixr will partner with new entities to establish electric water taxi operations.

The company will then provide those network operators who get an invite to participate with a suite of tools, resources, and services to launch and maintain electric water taxi or ferry services. E-lixr intends to help facilitate access to approved electric boats, financing solutions, tech platforms for ticketing, routing, and onboard purchases, plus the necessary marketing campaigns to build a customer base, charging infrastructure installation and maintenance, and even legal support.

The overall goal is to provide water taxi fleet operators in its network with Operators an ecosystem of centralized technology that integrates rider, captain, and host applications into one, enabling everything from ticket sales to onboard hospitality. E-lixr even shared plans to help facilitate first- and last-mile connections through partnerships with rideshare services on land. Payrovi shared more insight:

Riders will be able to book an entire journey, from home to waterfront to destination, all in a single transaction. This convenience dramatically expands the customer base for our operators.

As we reported in September, E-lixr has already designed its own electric water taxi vessel to meet US Coast Guard commercial inspection requirements. However, the startup shared it now recognizes the need for a more diverse fleet in order to serve a multitude of different waterways and operational demands.

As part of the new business platform, E-lixr wants to partner with OEMs worldwide, then approve their vessels for operations within its electric water taxi network and help bring production of those vessels to the US. the enable this, the company said it plans to establish a dedicated US shipyard that will provide international OEMs with a production hub to help expedite the development, integration, and adoption of electric boats.

E-lixr will initially launch as the operator in its home market of Miami and potentially a few other US markets before handing those operations off to third parties over time so that it can focus on new cities and international expansion.