EV Lab, a Dubai-based electric vehicle platform, has entered into a partnership with sustainable yacht creator Silent Yachts to bring solar-powered vessels to the region. Silent Yachts are powered entirely by <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/road-to-net-zero/" target="_blank">clean energy</a>, with solar panels and batteries feeding electric motors. The options available include 18-metre, 24-metre and 36.5-metre boats. The boats can produce between 10 kilowatts and 40kW of solar power and are equipped with 150kWh to 800kWh of battery capacity. Prices start at €2.96 million ($2.96m). The E-Power+ propulsion option offers top speeds of up to 20 knots (37 kilometres an hour) and "higher speeds can be sustained for even longer periods of time while also maximising the amount of energy which can be stored for back-up and deployed whenever needed", said EV Lab. "We expect the solar panel recharge technology to be a perfect fit and overperform in our market as we have an abundance of availability in solar energy," said Kevin Chalhoub, chief executive and founder of EV Lab. Silent Yachts "have proven the technology can work to theoretically recharge your boat entirely without needing a charger, which is a first in the industry”, he said. The clean energy vehicle movement is gathering pace — not only on roads, but on water as well. Swiss start-up <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/technology/2022/01/30/worlds-first-hydrogen-powered-hydrofoil-to-be-manufactured-in-dubai/">The Jet ZeroEmission</a> is planning to bring <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/technology/2022/03/28/exclusive-dubai-ideal-for-green-bentley-of-the-sea-flying-boat/" target="_blank">"flying boats" to Dubai</a>, which will be powered by two hydrogen fuel cells and will carry six to eight passengers at a cruising speed of 30 knots to 40 knots. Last year, the UAE <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/government/2021/10/07/uae-unveils-net-zero-initiative-for-2050/" target="_blank">announced an ambitious strategic initiative</a> to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. As part of the plan, Dh600 billion ($163bn) will be invested in clean and renewable energy sources in the next three decades. The UAE also has the world’s cheapest solar power and is home to three of the largest solar complexes in the world.
