This 700hp Canadian-built 26fter has just set a distance record for battery boats. High-speed wasn't part of it...
Typically, the brand new Voltari 260 electric boat is all about going fast. With its high-torque 740hp electric motor juiced by a 142kWh bank of lithium-ion Evereadys, it can slice and dice the waves at an impressive 52 knots.
But when there’s a world record to be broken, it’s worth a compromise or two. So, to claim the gong for covering the longest overseas distance in an electric “vehicle” on a single charge, the Voltari streaked along at a heady… 4.3 knots.
That meant covering the 91-miles between Key Largo, Florida, across the often-boisterous Gulf Stream, to Bimini in the Bahamas in what must have seemed an endless 20 hours. But it got the job done, and on a single charge.
We’re guessing new buyers will be less worried about the Voltari’s canal-boat, energy-conserving speed and more about having zero-emission fun in this stealthy-looking, all-carbon fast runabout.
Ontario, Canada-based Voltari has been in the electric propulsion business since 2009, having dabbled with electric ski boats and hybrid sailboats before coming up with the Voltari 260 last year.
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Perfect for the fast-emerging wakeboard market, the Voltari’s electric motor packs a muscular 995 lb-ft (1350Nm) of torque to punch the 7,000-pound Voltari 260 out of the hole in seconds.
It also has space for all the family to watch the action, with its three-across stern seating, two-seat helm and two seats ahead of the helm console. Interestingly, while Voltari calls it a 260, it actually measures 28ft 11in bow to stern.
After its record-setting run to Bimini, the Voltari will be back in full performance mode for its Miami Boat Show debut.
Voltari 260 specification
LOA: 28ft 11in (8.6m)
Draft: 2ft 7in (0.79m)
Displacement: 3,175 kgs (7,000 lbs)
Power: 740hp electric
Batteries: 142kWh
Top speed: 52 knots
Range: 37 miles
Starting price: $450,000
