New X Shore 1 electric bowrider hits the market

Swedish electric boat pioneer X Shore is expanding their model line with the new X Shore 1 Bowrider. It will join the other existing X Shore 1 models (Open and Top), the company’s flagship Eelex 800 and the X Shore Pro workboat.

X Shore CEO Rene Hansen said the creation of the bowrider was a response to customer feedback on the original X Shore 1 Open and Top, which were launched in 2022 to provide the market with an electric option closer in price to fossil fuel boats of similar size.

One of the reasons the company was able to hit that price point was by building a 15,000 square metre facility (160,000 sq ft) in Nyköping, Sweden, with an assembly line operation that has the capacity to build hundreds of boats per year

The X Shore 1 went on to win the German Design Award, Best of Boats Award (Best Electric Boat) and overall European Powerboat of the Year. It is also a Finalist in this year’s Gussies Electric Boat Awards. CEO Hansen says “the people loved the boat, but they were looking for a bowrider to fit in more with their lifestyle, This was especially true in North America, where bowriders are about 60% of the market in this 25 foot range.”

Reimagined in significant ways

At first, responding to this request seemed to be as simple as making some modifications to the existing hulls, but in the end the X Shore 1 Bowrider was reimagined in significant ways. This came about in part because they enlisted the talents of the Koenigsegg high performance auto builders to work with X Shore’s engineers and designers.

Aside from being significantly lighter than the other models – which immediately offers more speed and range – refinements were also made to the handling and overall ride. Reduced vibration is already a benefit of electric vs ICE boats, and the team took that to the next level of smoothness.  It received rave reviews during sea trials at the Cannes Yachting Festival.

The result is a boat that delivers on the bowrider experience people are looking for:

• Open transom and swim platform for effortless water access
• Adjustable deck space ideal for sunbathing or social gatherings
• Central passage with flexible seating for easy movement
• Underseat storage for gear and supplies

On the technical goodies side, the X Shore 1 Bowrider integrates Garmin technology that connects with the X Shore app and Garmin smartwatch as well as their 19-inch cockpit display for precise, real-time data on navigation, depth, and temperature.

There is no doubt that X Shore has its eye on the US market, but the Bowrider is also a great model for recreational boaters in Europe, as more lakes and waters and regions restrict the use of fossil boats. Germany’s M Yachts recently ordered 32 X Shores – the company’s largest contract to date –  to meet the demand for electric boats in the DACH Region: Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Electric bowriders growing in Europe

X Shore’s research anticipates the German boating market will have an electrification rate of around 12% by 2027 due in part to the fossil fuel bans, but also general high environmental awareness. The Swiss and Austrian markets are following suit on restrictions, and there are also some plans emerging in Norway, which is the leading market in the western world for EVs and knows a thing or two about incentives.

Because of X Shore’s facilities the Bowrider will also be able to compete with similar fossil fuel boats, with a suggested retail starting price of €129,000 / $139,000.

The economic efficiency of X Shore’s plant is not the only benefit of the facility, though. The plant was also built so that X Shore can control all of the inputs and the complete production process, to fulfill their mandate of making every aspect of every boat as environmentally friendly as possible.

“For us, the most important thing was to respond to the feedback from boat buyers,” says CEO Hansen. “They said ‘we love your boat, but we want something that fits in better with our lifestyle’. So I’m very proud that we were able to do that, and not just produce it, but take everything apart, put it together again and give the customer not just something new, but something great.”

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