Conversion of a Nicols 800 to an electric engine
Anjou Navigation owns 33 boats from 8 to 14 meters long, operated in tourist rentals on the rivers of Pays de Loire. Since the summer of 2020, it has chosen to convert a Nicols 800, initially equipped with a 20 HP Volvo combustion engine on shaft line, to electric power. "It is the fruit of 2 years of reflection. We had identified a first company in the region, but one that didn't come from the boating industry, which posed a few problems. Torqeedo, with whom we already work on our small half-day boats, offered us a 10 kW inboard Waterworld motor with 3 batteries. We finally fitted the boat out at the beginning of July 2020," explains Raphaël Pierre, co-manager of Anjou Navigation.
A navigation profile adapted to test the electric boat
If he has bigger boats, the lessor preferred to transform this 8-metre boat, which was the most suitable for his test. "It was easier to do tests for a boat that we rent by the day for 6 people or over a weekend for 2 people. Because otherwise, you have to think about everything else with the need for a recharge point for the servitude battery park. Finally, day users sail more than weekend rentals, about 6 to 7 hours using 2kW. And we had no charging problems" rejoices Raphaël Pierre.
If Nicols has tested a larger unit, it requires a fast charging network. "The advantage of Torqeedo's solution is that it is simple. It shows that it's reliable, so that we can later convince public players to build charging stations," adds the co-manager of Anjou Navigation.
A necessary investment to respond to customers
For Raphaël Pierre, the investment is strategic. "The boat is more than 20 years old. The cost of installation, 25,000 euros, is the same as the price of the boat. It can be recovered over 5 to 7 years, but it should not be seen solely in terms of profitability. Attitudes are changing fast and you have to keep an open mind. We're working with a natural product and we have to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Electricity is the only way today." Very satisfied, he talks in the longer term about the possibility of switching his top-of-the-range boats to electric.
