Emerging Swedish conglomerate Nimbus Group continues their expansion with the testing of an all-new electric concept boat.
The announcement marks the end of a long string of moves in 2024, which has also included bringing their Aquador brand to North America, purchasing Florida's EdgeWater Powerboats, and starting manufacturing of some Nimbus brand models at EdgeWater's Florida facility.
The latest announcement will mark their first foray into electric boating as they begin sea trials with their OceanAir 8 concept boat.
The concept boat was developed in collaboration with Nimbus Group its brand Alukin and the two Norwegian companies Pascal Technologies AS and Evoy AS. The hull is based on Pascal Technologies’ AirHull technology and the propulsion system uses an electric outboard motor developed by Evoy Motors.
The hull and superstructure will be made from lightweight aluminum as opposed to Nimbus' standard composite hulls and is based on an Alukin hull design.
"Testing new hull concepts, as in this case, is typical of our pragmatic approach and our curiosity about new technologies. If we are to manage to live up to our high standards in the area of sustainability, we must be prepared to think and try new things whenever we have the opportunity," said Jan-Erik Lindström, CEO of Nimbus Group in a press release.
Pascal Technologies' hull concept is based on a combination of a traditional boat hull and the principles used by boats with very energy-efficient hull technologies, so-called surface effect ships. By using a fan to push air under the boat, the proportion of the hull that is in contact with the water's surface is reduced and thus the energy consumption. According to Nimbus, the OceanAir 8 can use up to 50% less energy for propulsion compared to a traditional hull shape.
Tests of the surface effect hull design have shown that energy consumption can be reduced by between 30 and 50 percent compared to traditional hull and propulsion system, which increases the boat's range by 50-100 percent. A more easily driven hull can facilitate the conversion to electric powertrains as it produces less drag and therefore burns less energy from the electric propulsion system.
Nimbus Group currently owns the Alukin, Aquador, Bella, Falcon, Flipper, Nimbus and Paragon Yacht brands and has seen significant expansion in the North American market to compliment their large existing European dealer base.
