18 March/April 2024 | E-Mobility Engineering Rory Jackson explains how Porsche has collaborated with boat-maker Frauscher to take its latest generation e-powertrain onto the water Making a splash Since boating as a mobility form is largely motivated by sport and leisure, the quietness of an electric motor versus an internal combustion engine is prized by many. The easier repair and maintenance of electric powertrains, compared with their fuelengine counterparts, also benefits boat owners, but there is a dearth of suppliers making suitable components. Automotive OEMs, by contrast, are rapidly developing all-new e-powertrains to suit many different EV designs. If it were possible to bring such an OEM into the marine world it could drive the creation of a fully electric motorboat. This is the path ventured down by Porsche AG and Austrian shipyard Frauscher Boats, which together have developed the Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air. This is an all-electric nine-person yacht, measuring 8.67 m long and 2.49 m at its greatest width, with a clearance height of 1.35 m and a maximum draught of 0.9 m. In essence, it is a version of Frauscher’s established 858 Fantom Air, integrating a form of the e-powertrain developed for the next-generation Porsche Macan SUV, as well as some other battery-electric road vehicles. The Frauscher x Porsche 850 (or eFantom) has a dry weight of 2800 kg, and it is claimed to have a top speed of 85 kph and a cruising speed of 41 kph. Its onboard battery energy provides for about 45 km of cruising range. In the course of seeking out new opportunities to use its automotive knowledge in other applications (mostly relating to mobility), a marine feasibility study was started within Porsche AG in 2021. This determined that supplying a powertrain to a boat manufacturer was the best way to go, without resorting to the huge expense and engineering challenges of making not only a boat but a boat engineering division too, from scratch. Next-gen Porsche Macan powertrain Porsche opted for the next-gen Macan’s powertrain – one of its most advanced, which, as of the time of writing, is still in development – to future-proof the boat in a similar
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