Porsche has certainly chosen an interesting canvas to give us a sneak peek at the upcoming Macan’s EV powertrain, teaming up with Frauscher Shipyard for a one-off sports boat. Dubbed the eFantom, the new Porsche boat comes with 400 kW of electric power and can reach speeds of up to 85 km/h.
In a rare first glimpse, Porsche and Frauscher share some initial details about the upcoming release, focusing heavily on the powertrain implementation. For reference, the two companies are claiming that the eFantom houses a large 100kwh lithium-ion battery pack, complete with 800-volt technology for fast charging, a reference to what we can expect from its highly anticipated four-wheel road-faring counterpart. The other connection between this boat and the new Macan stems from the fact that it uses components of the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) on which the new Macan is also based.
In the eFantom, the electric motor develops upwards of 537hp, a figure that bodes well for the new Macan, especially as it would account for the lineup’s most powerful release yet. Back to the boat and here the electric motor sits at the back while the controls are housed in a waterproof box emblazoned with the Porsche logo.
Just like on a Porsche road car, there are pre-programmed driving modes including Docking, Range, Sport, and Sport Plus settings. The modes change the characteristic curve of the throttle response while each has a different speed limit.
For example, in Docking mode for harbour driving, the speed is limited to eight knots (the equivalent of 15 km/h). That said, the speeds do, erm, differ from the upcoming Macan obviously, but it’s plenty quick for a sports boat with a cruising speed of 41 km/h (22 know).
At this speed, a battery charge can be used for cruising for about one hour or about 45 kilometres, while when driving at hull speed, Porsche claims ranges of more than 100 kilometres are possible. The top speed, on the other hand, is reached in Sport Plus mode and is capped at 85 km/h (46 kn). Importantly, Porsche has confirmed that an 11-kW AC charger comes as standard, with the charging ports located on the front side of the left bench.
Design-wise, the new eFantom plays as close to the Porsche design language is as possible in a boat, continuing the marque’s favoured streamlined shape. The eFantom is 8.67-metre-long and has a 2.49-metre-wide hull that is able to accommodate up to nine passengers. Inside, the seats are covered with durable artificial leather plus luxuries like a high-end audio system with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity which can be operated by a 12-inch multi-information display. Standard is an electric stainless-steel anchor with a stainless-steel chain, LED ambient lighting, LED underwater lighting and a cooling compartment.
Best of all, the entire colour palette that Porsche offers for its road vehicles is available for this boat as well with interior customisations on offer too! Only 25 units of the ‘First Edition’ would be delivered to buyers by next year with a price tag of USD$600,000. Let’s hope the Macan comes in a little cheaper.
