The fully electric Hinckley has arrived
One of the stars of the Newport International Boat Show was draped in a covering at Bowen’s Wharf—until it wasn’t. Letting the cover fall away, as a packed crowd of journalists and slightly mystified lunch-goers at 22 Bowen’s looked on in rapt attention, Hinckley Yachts unveiled Dasher—a fully electric boat.
Borrowing her name from the game-changing, original Picnic Boat Hull No. 1, Dasher sports a carbon-epoxy composite hull shape designed by Michael Peters. From 3D-printed console details and a single touch screen control, no amount of technological sophistication has been spared. Dasher powers her 28 feet 6 inches with twin 80 horsepower Torqeedo motors and dual 40-kWh BMW i3 lithium ion batteries. A silent driving experience is augmented by standard on-board dual 50 amp charging cables, gaining a full charge in under four hours—twice as fast the most popular plug-in electric cars.
“We didn’t do an electric boat for the sake of an electric boat; we knew the experience was going to be supported really well by the technology,” said Scott Bryant, director of new product development at Hinckley. “We have a really sophisticated product development strategy. As a technology company wrapped in beautiful boats, it’s something we’re always looking to do—we’re always thinking about the next thing.”
For the sake of simplicity, Dasher has a single touch screen that incorporates easy-to-use navigation: circles that show the batteries’ range at any given time. With a cruising speed around 8 knots (with fast cruising at 15-25 knots), her range is 40 miles when cruising and 20 to 25 miles at fast cruising speeds, making her an ideal day boat.
Reservations are now being accepted for delivery in Summer 2018.
Read our boat test of Hinckley’s Dasher here. ▶
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