With the confronting reality of climate change and the climbing cost of fuel, electric vehicles are finally gaining traction on our roads. But progress on electric-powered boats has been much slower, despite the obvious savings to be made for both the environment and our wallets.
Designer and boatbuilder Tim Clissold, whose talents have mostly been put to work on sail-powered craft, and more recently on set-building for international movie and TV projects being filmed in New Zealand, has set out to change that.
For Clissold, his 6 metre solar-powered Elotri isn’t just a one-off boat: it’s a challenge for the industry and boat owners to take up, to spark a conversation and encourage the development of more electric boat options.