Iguana Yachts launches the first electric amphibious boat: the Iguana Foiler
by Iguana Yachts 16 Sep 2022 09:25 AEST
The Iguana Foiler was unveiled for the first time during the Cannes Yachting Festival 2022 last week. Iguana Yachts goes one step further with an innovation that is both groundbreaking and sustainable.
Responding to the demand for an electric version of the Iguana from clients, the French shipyard developed a foiling version of its amphibious boat fitted with an electric outboard.
Sustainability has always been part of Iguana Yachts DNA. The Iguana is a boat that does not need any heavy infrastructure like ports and docks to be operated. With minimal requisites in logistics, materials, infrastructure and anti-fouling, amphibious boats are overall more environmentally friendly and last longer as they do not stay in the water all-year long. It is a natural development for Iguana Yachts to go for electric propulsion to offer the most sustainable motor-boating experience in the world.
The electric amphibious Iguana Foiler is perfect for lakes and seas and offers a very comfortable and dry experience above choppy waves. Iguana clients will have the opportunity to experience the most exclusive and innovative ride ever made: a quiet, powerful and all-terrain 10m boat reaching speeds of 30 knots.
Iguana Yachts has worked with the best French Engineers and Designers to create a vessel that is both extremely efficient and beautiful. Caponnetto-Hueber are worldwide recognized experts in foil design.
They have worked on the Iguana Foils design to make it very simple and stable. Foils reduce the drag and the energy consumption by 50%. The surface piercing foils are auto stable when foiling. As the architecture does not require sophisticated software to be controlled, it is a very safe technology. The foils can be folded for manoeuvres in harbours as well as when foils cannot be used in harsh seas. When the foils are folded, the boat works as a normal semi-planing hull. This makes the Iguana Foiler even more versatile and usable in any seas.
As for all the other Iguana models, the French designers Fritsch and Durisotti worked on the design of the Iguana foiler to create a beautiful, modern and sleek look. The Iguana Foiler has a bow-rider deck with an all-around windscreen above the console and nice seats on the bow. With lots of space and seating areas, the Iguana Foiler is perfect for smooth rides with family and friends. It was designed to be especially light to fly above water.
Iguana Yachts has partnered with the Norwegian company Evoy. The Iguana Foiler is fitted with an electric Evoy 300HP outboard. It offers a blissful quiet ride that is both smooth and better for the environment.
The Iguana Foiler has a range of 50 miles and can go up to 30 knots.
Like all the other Iguanas, the Foiler is amphibious with foldable tracks. Since 2016, Iguana Yachts has offered electric land mobility with a 400 volts lithium battery. The R&D is well equipped to provide high voltage engineering as well as mechanical and hydraulic challenges. Seaside property owners will now have the opportunity to launch their boat from home and enjoy an electrically powered ride on foils.
With a 10-year tried and tested technology, Iguana Yachts is ready for another challenge and to lead the way with sustainable and innovative solutions. Overcrowded marinas, the obsolescence of infrastructure due to sea level rise and the will to reduce CO2 emissions, make the Iguana Foiler perfect for the future of motor-boating.
"We are extremely happy to be part of this project as Iguana Yachts has always tried to approach the nautical industry from a different point of view. Bringing the electrical propulsion from Evoy and the foils from Caponnetto Hueber, we believe the Iguana Foiler will not go unnoticed. It will likely become the Swiss knife of the electrical tender industry" - Francis Hueber, Caponnetto Hueber General Manager.