INTERVIEW: Luisa Bonello, executive director of Vita

The benefits of electrification seem tailor-made for the pleasure and leisure boat industry. E&H Marine speaks to Luisa Bonello, executive director of Vita, about the company’s plans to use the myriad benefits of electric and hybrid propulsion to optimize the onboard experience.

What’s the concept behind the Vita Lion?

The boat was designed by BorromeodeSilva to showcase Vita’s electric propulsion technology, which was also the first marine electric powertrain to be DC charged. It offers speed and comfort, so covers a lot of bases for the high-end recreational boat user. It’s also ideally suited to the superyacht tender market.

Why does electric propulsion suit the pleasure boat sector?

For people who love being on the water, there’s nothing like it. The noise, the smells, the fuel spills – all that is eliminated, which means that you can enjoy the immediate environment, which is especially impactful when you’re in an open vessel and close to the water. Also, although a lot of the focus falls on shipping when we discuss marine pollution, it’s worth remembering that a typical 10m ICE-powered day boat can produce over 200kg of CO₂ per hour of use – so the electrification of the recreational boating sector will make a major contribution to the preservation of our waters. The technology to electrify this sector (smaller day boats) is here today.

How has utilizing an electric drive system improved the experience for the user?

The most obvious difference is that an electric drive system has far fewer parts than an ICE – which means fewer individual components at risk of failure. An electric boat user should find that their boat requires far less maintenance. Then there’s the instant torque – most electric boats will be noticeably more responsive than their ICE equivalents. The weight of the batteries can also make for a more stable, smoother ride.

What’s the latest in terms of Vita vessels in the water?

We’re ramping up production over the next year, especially with our Seal and SeaDog RIB product ranges. And a few exciting new projects besides.

Are there further iterations of the Lion planned?

Watch this space!

This article originally formed part of the leisure feature in the September 2023 issue of Electric and Hybrid Marine Technology. To view the magazine in full, click here.