Revolutionary new Aura 51 Smart Electric
by Multihull Solutions 15 Oct 2022 09:30 AEDT
Aura 51 Smart Electric © Jean-Marie Liot
At the recent 2022 Cannes Yachting Festival, Fountaine Pajot unveiled their groundbreaking new model, the Aura 51 Smart Electric.
The new-generation catamaran is the first stage of the shipyard's Odyssea plan before the development of fuel cells that will allow Fountaine Pajot to install hydrogen-powered motors on all their boats for optimal eco-sustainability.
The first model was developed in collaboration with all the Fountaine Pajot teams and other leading French companies and was rigorously tested in various conditions on a successful month-long delivery voyage from La Rochelle to Cannes.
As the first fully electric boat, the Aura 51 Smart Electric is distinguished by the absence of an internal combustion engine. In its place in the duplicate compartments in the starboard and port hulls are batteries and advanced electronic systems that manage the motor and all the energy flow onboard. The electric motor lies beneath the battery underneath the waterline, resulting in engine compartments that are far less cluttered than with conventional motors.
State-of-the-art screens at the interior chart table and at the helm station provide easy-to-use control of all systems. One-page details the propulsion of the boat with motor consumption and speed data displayed in the same manner as combustion engines. There is also data on range and battery levels in full electric mode, and it is easy to switch from electric to hybrid mode at the touch of a button. The panel also shows equipment status and any issues, while another page shows the origins and flow of the energy onboard, consumption rate and remaining energy. Cruisers can also see all the production of renewable energies from solar panels or from hydro-generation when the boat is under sail.
The electric motors mean that the helm station levers are smaller than with a conventional diesel engine, affording greater comfort and more precision when manoeuvring. The inaugural model of the Aura 51 Smart Electric will be delivered to its owner in Europe at the end of 2022 and there has been overwhelming interest from cruisers across the world in this innovative new catamaran.
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