January 13, 2022
The first 180hp fully electric production center console boat in the US.
Vision Marine Technologies (VMAR-NASDAQ) and The Limestone Boat Company (BOAT-TSX-V) – owner and builder of big water brands Aquasport Boats, Limestone® Boats, and Boca Bay Boats – have partnered with plans to disrupt the recreational boating industry by introducing the first fully electric center console boat produced in the United States.
Vision has recently completed the design and rigging of the internal structure of The Limestone Boat Company’s Aquasport 2100CC, which will enable the company to offer the first 180 hp fully electric center console boat in the United States. Originally designed as a fully-capable fishing boat with traditional outboard power options, this environmentally friendly EV rendition will be the first of its kind and tailor made for a beautiful day out on the water with the power and torque required to achieve great speed.
The electrically powered Aquasport entry will be equipped with Vision Marine’s signature E-Motion™ outboard powertrain system, coupled with two high voltage 35kWh battery packs specifically designed by a partnership recently announced by Vision with Octillion Power Systems, exclusively for the recreational boating market. Also integrated into the boat will be proprietary rigging, an onboard charging system, and digital screens at the helm.
A center console is a bay boat that has a steering station on a console in the center of the boat, with open deck space or seating in the front and the back. They can be manufactured for commercial or recreational use, with the most common uses being fishing and water sports such as wakeboarding and waterskiing. Amongst the most popular boats on the market, center consoles are built with large seating spaces to accommodate larger groups and families.
The first collaboration between Vision Marine and The Limestone Boat Company will create waves (pun intended) in the marine industry with initial trialing of the 21 feet long electric Aquasport 2100CC commencing in March 2022. Moving forward, the 2100CC will be the first fully electric performance powerboat to be produced in the United States, highlighting Vision Marine’s unique electric technology to the boating world.
The Limestone Boat Company is publicly traded on the Toronto Venture Exchange, with headquarters in Collingwood, Ontario and a primary manufacturing facility in Tennessee. With production numbers steadily increasing, the parent company’s 145,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility expects to produce approximately 350 boats in the calendar year of 2022, with a significant order backlog stretching well into 2023.
The Aquasport 2100CC will be showing off Aquasport’s truly magnificent boat building skills, showcasing Vision Marine’s disruptive purpose built electric technology of the E-Motion™ powertrain. The 2100CC will in addition be displaying a life changing ambiance to the fishing world. Imagine a new kind of relaxation on the water with no noise or fumes from the engine, zero pollution, zero emissions, most likely leading to more catches due to its noiseless technology. Your relaxing day on the water just got even quieter, more peaceful, and more successful. As an added bonus, the 2100CC also features a displacement hull that is Kevlar reinforced, which leads to increased durability, and a flared bow and tall freeboard to help provide a dry ride out to the fishing grounds.
A successful collaboration will enhance The Limestone Boat Company’s and Vision Marine’s shared aspiration of providing a state-of-the-art EV experience. With the recent announcement by Vision regarding the partnership with Octillion solidifying Vision Marine’s supply chain for powerful high density lithium-ion batteries and the recent manufacturing and engineering partnership with McLaren/Linamar, Vision Marine is primed for a breakthrough year of production, with scaled commercial sales commencing in early 2023. The Aquasport 2100CC would solidify Vision as the true innovator and leader regarding the electric transition of global waterways, and far ahead of any performance related competitors.
An important advantage that the Aquasport brand brings is its large dealership network spread across North America, as well as its excellent long-standing reputation with those dealerships. The brand’s powerful presence and history in the United States includes a multitude of dealers in numerous states. Recently, Aquasport has launched in Canada with its first dealership located in Ontario. Scott Hanson, CEO of The Limestone Boat Company, has described the Aquasport brand as having a “loyal cult-like following since it’s debut in the mid 1960’s”.
In May 2021, The Limestone Boat Company’s Scott Hanson stated, when the partnership with Vision Marine was announced, “With electric vehicle (EV) technology coming more and more to the forefront in our lives, we wanted to provide our customers with reliable and dependable yet disruptive EV marine product offerings on our deep-V hull design. Our partnership with Vision Marine Technologies provides us the opportunity to bring groundbreaking performance, run times, and cruising speeds to market sought after by big water boaters. The Limestone Boat Company is excited about bringing an EV alternative to big water performance boats in both our Aquasport and Limestone® brand lineups that deliver the operating times, average cruising speed, and cycle times that our coastal and inland customers demand.”
Limestone® Boats, which has a 35-year history as a heritage company, is led by a team of marine industry veterans with more than 100 years of combined experience in manufacturing, finance, design, marketing and customer service.
With plans to become one of North America’s top boat building companies in units annually produced, and EV leadership, The Limestone Boat Company and it’s associated family of brands is evolving and expanding product lines to appeal to both the recreational and commercial boating industry. The Limestone Boat Company’s experience and expertise, and most notably its partnership with Vision Marine and its E-Motion™ outboard technology, will be leading the boating industry by example into a new era of electric boating.
