We Tested the Best All-Electric Boats on the Water. Here Are Our 3 Favorites.

Unlike battery-powered cars, electric boats haven’t much made their way onto the scene, despite the earliest model having appeared in the 1830s, roughly the same time as the first electric car. Yet, a sea change may finally be on the way as the first generation of zero-emissions, commercially available electric boats hits the water. Aside from eschewing fossil fuel, these newcomers offer easy maintenance, boast lower operational costs and allow for remote trouble-shooting and software updates.

But the most striking common denominator across these three vessels? The smart, devil-in-the-detail designs. 

Voltari 260

The $450,000 Voltari 260 is designed around a performance hull that made the Pantera brand an offshore legend. But this boat, made from 100 percent carbon fiber, is 2,200 pounds lighter than a conventional fiberglass layup. Two electric motors connected to a single drive, and six battery packs with 142 kwh of total capacity, add to the boat’s total weight of 7,000 pounds. Peak output hits 550 kw (the equivalent of 740 hp) and you feel it—immediately—heading out into the Atlantic. With 995 ft lbs of torque, the motors delivered blistering acceleration and the deep-V hull kept everyone dry as the boat skipped across the chop. The Konrad outdrive and power steering added ambient noise to what is billed as a “silent” ride, but you can speak without yelling—something you can’t do with a big outboard on the stern.

The helm has everything you’d expect on a premium 26-footer: trim tabs, performance throttles and twin 17-inch Garmin screens that display navigation charts and customized cruising data. Fit and finish are first-rate, with a flawless carbon-fiber hull and cockpit (some areas left artistically exposed) set off by the hand-stitched Alcantara upholstery. Designer J. David Weiss’s black-and-gold topside is intentionally flashy without crossing into tacky, capped by a manta ray–inspired hardtop. And buyers can make their own color choices. Range anxiety is natural on a boat that claims a 60 mph top end, but Voltari says, in ideal conditions, a speed of 30 knots delivers a 35-mile range—a typical distance for the average day cruise.