TWO NEW SOEL SHUTTLE 14 FERRIES DELIVERED

Soel Yachts successfully delivers two solar electric Soel Shuttle 14 vessels

In February 2022 the Soel Yachts team successfully put two new Soel Shuttle 14 passenger ferries into operation in Bora Bora, French-Polynesia. After a smooth construction process, their engineers personally oversaw final assembly on location before delivering the two vessels to owner Pearl Resorts Group. The groups’ visionary CEO, Romain Vidal, provides first-hand experience by taking advantage of all-electric water transport for their guests.

Sustainable Tourism

The Soel Shuttle 14 is the to date largest passenger ferry developed and built by the Dutch electric yacht company Soel Yachts. It was developed as a multi-purpose vessel, catering to the various needs of water bound resorts, municipalities and shuttling companies.

The commissioning of two Soel Shuttle 14 vessels followed the delivery of the SoelCat 12 in 2017, which is operated by the same resort. The Pearl Resorts Group aims to be the front runner on truly sustainable tourism. The electrification of their guest transport and exclusive excursion fleet plays a key role in achieving this goal. The two Soel Shuttle 14 primarily take on the role as airport shuttles for the guests, offering unique PR values while keeping the cost of ownership tremendously low. A true win-win for everybody and an important statement to the rest of the resort industry, where boat emissions account for the largest part of the resort’s CO2 footprint.

CEO Romain Vidal of the Pearl Resorts Group comments on the new Soel Shuttles 14: “As a local hotel chain we believe that sustainable solutions are the way to go forward, in order to keep our business alive. Priority number one is to offer a healthy environment to our guests, so that they can enjoy the destination as much as possible. From the SoelCat 12 we have learned that operating fully sustainable boats does not only help to save significant costs for imported fuel and maintenance, but we can actively impact a more sustainable environment around us, every day.”

Commercially Approved

The Soel Shuttle 14 design responds to an ever increasing market demand for a zero-emission vessels, capable of transporting people in cities and coastal water destinations in a sustainable and smart way. Sailing electric ensures no local emissions; no smells; less noise and fewer costs, benefitting both owner and environment. With the Soel Shuttle 14, Soel Yachts offers a viable solution for a fully outfitted electric vessel authorized for commercial transport of up to 22 guests and two crew. It is built according to Bureau Veritas passenger vessel standards and approved by Affaires Maritimes Division 223b passenger vessels.

The two delivered Soel Shuttle 14 vessels have 2x 40 kW electric motors and 106 kWh of battery power installed. However, multiple motor and battery capacity options are available to tailor the vessel’s performance to the clients’ needs. The boats’ performance during sea trials have shown better results than contracted, having achieved a 1.5 knots higher top speed of 14 knots. This is the result of the perfectly matched propulsion system and propeller with the hull lines, which were CFD optimized specifically for electric propulsion.

In-house Expertise

Soel Yachts stands out from the market with their in-house team of specialists in the fields of design, naval architecture and electrical engineering and propulsion system integration. With vast experience in electric boat building they continue to imagine, develop and build reliable, safe and innovative electric boats and yachts. Longtime partner and shareholder Naval DC provides matched electric propulsion systems and batteries to guarantee the highest quality offered in the market.

Linda Brembs, Managing Partner at Soel Yachts explains: “The quality of technical systems matters as much to us as the overall design and seakeeping. With our shared passion and knowledge we can create our products to the highest standard. We are able to answer any question while guiding our clients through the ins and outs of solar-electric sailing.”

Based on longstanding experience from developing commercially operating electric boats, Soel Yachts has expanded their product range towards private tourism with the Senses series. They currently offer a solar electric weekender boat, the Soel Senses 48 and a 62ft solar electric yacht for ocean crossings; the Soel Senses 62.

Get in touch

Anyone who would like to learn more about Soel Yachts and solar electric cruising, is invited to get in touch by sending an email to info@soelyachts.com. Further information and images of the Soel Shuttle 14 can be found on http://soelyachts.com/soelshuttle14