Why Delphia went electric and Torqeedo
The Bénéteau Group has chosen to make its Delphia brand the pioneer of sustainable and responsible cruising. On the road to CO2 emission-free cruising, the yachting leader studied the technical solutions that would enable it to achieve its decarbonization ambition, before choosing electric power," explains Luka Modrijan, marketing product manager at Delphia: "Electricity and hydrogen are the main solutions at the moment. We chose electric, because there are already suppliers and infrastructure available, with single-phase and three-phase charging stations in marinas, and a network of fast chargers that is starting to increase in some inland and coastal areas. What's more, electric is ideal for inland navigation, with displacement boats, low speed limits, easy recharging on canals that pass through towns."
Delphia then selected Torqeedo as a partner to develop its range of electric speedboats. A choice that both parties see as a matter of course. Matthias Vogel, SVP Business Unit Customized Solutions at Torqeedo, sums up: "With 250,000 systems on the market, we are leaders in the electric motorization market. With the Bénéteau Group, it was natural to bring the two leaders together." Luka Modrijan adds: "We wanted a partner who could provide a complete end-to-end solution, with chargers, electric motors, batteries and worldwide technical support. Torqeedo is the only one to offer this."
Defining solutions for all types of electric navigation
The partners worked together to find the best response to the diverse expectations of boaters. Use cases were defined, focusing on 2 profiles: closed lakes or dayboating use, and weekend sailing and cruising, to define three packages.
Matthias Vogel explains: "Our engineers have designed a customized architecture for Delphia, and 3 levels of equipment. The Life package, the gateway to electric power with a basic range. The Cruising package, with 2 larger batteries for longer or faster cruising. The Rapid package, for fast recharging, with a charger to take advantage of short stopovers to recharge. We had an exchange focused on autonomy, with energy management tools, a control screen and a reflection on all electrical consumption also outside propulsion."
Supporting the development of electric boats
The partnership between Delphia and Torqeedo is a long-term one, which began in 2021, took shape with the Delphia D10 range in 2022 and has since continued with the Delphia 11 and soon the Delphia 12 ranges. It is based on the quality of our support for boatyards and boaters," says Delphia's marketing manager: "Torqeedo's technicians provide remote delivery, and seriously test all the boats. They can also assist the boater, even though the solution is transparent and intuitive."
Torqeedo is already anticipating technical developments: "The Bénéteau Group has a clear agenda in sustainability, and that's what we're fighting for too. The evolution of energy density is already allowing us to think about future new developments for silent cruising."
