Avon, part of the Zodiac Nautic group, was a pioneer in jet tenders. Now they want to be ahead of competitors by introducing the eJET 450 electric tender, with no combustion engine at all.
The first preview was last year, but now it’s a reality. Zodiac (and their brand Avon) decided to partner with the world leader in marine electric propulsion, Germany-based Torqeedo. What they have developed together, the eJET 450 electric tender, aims at solving the most pressing problems faced by yacht owners (or their captains): carrying fuel for tenders, changing oil, dealing with reliability issues and costly maintenance.
There’s some BMW in it
The 100% electric dinghy is equipped with the top-end 55 Kw Deep Blue electric engine from Torqeedo and the latest generation of automotive battery (30.5 kWh used in the BMW i3, while a larger model of motor can be supplied by BMW i8’s battery pack). The eJET gets 90 minutes of range at 23 knots (7 hours at 5 knots) and achieves a max speed of 31 knots thanks to its Hydrojet technology. The eJET products also carry connected capabilities allowing them to be maintained and upgraded directly through the Internet, something first seen on Tesla cars.
True to their background (they have built over 200,000 tenders in 60 years), Avon eJETs feature high quality hypalon fabric, electrically-retractable seating, and upholstery by Serge Ferrari with a quilted finish sewn by hand in France. The range is entirely customizable with hundreds of options available.
The tender will be available for sea trial upon request at both the Cannes Yachting Festival and the Monaco Yacht Show.
