Fountaine Pajot has been committed to an environmentally friendly approach for 15 years and has been a precursor with their Ecocruising concept released in 2008 with a wide range of products and options dedicated to “renewable” electricity and freshwater production, fitting low fuel-consumption equipment limiting the use of fossil fuels.
In 2017, Fountaine Pajot took a step further, integrating the Ecocruising concept into the Smart Cruising Concept. So, in addition to all the functions developed into the Ecocruising offer, Fountaine Pajot offered to owners new unique experience for their boats to manage energy efficiency, safety and remote boat control.
The Smart Cruising Concept developed by Fountaine Pajot provides a solution to stay connected with the boat constantly even when the owner is not on board. They can see that everything is fine on board at any time: Geofence, level of tanks, safety, winds…
In pursuit of its commitment to respecting the environment and answering a request of owners more and more concerned by the alternative solutions in term of energy, Fountaine Pajot Group has comitted to develop an innovative electric solution with Volvo Penta.
With this intention of creating greater onboard convenience and to reduce ecological footprint, Fountaine-Pajot will assist in describing the needs of the market, in the installation, trials and demonstration of Volvo Penta’s pioneering electromobility technology.
With more than 600 units built per year, the group has its own research and development department, where it has developed several innovative processes, including the ability to make boat hulls by injection molding system.
Volvo Penta’s new electromobility technology will be installed in a Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40 sailing catamaran, which will then act as the first demonstration boat fitted with the system. The installation and subsequent sea trials will be held over the coming months, where the system’s performance and durability will be fine-tuned.
“This collaboration with Fountaine-Pajot is a strong endorsement of the faith in the market for this type of new technology and our ability to deliver a viable solution,” says Johan Inden, President of Europe at Volvo Penta. “Fountaine-Pajot’s wealth of knowledge, closeness to its customers and data regarding how boat owners use their vessels is proving invaluable in helping to deliver a real-world proof-of-concept, and in delivering an electric solution that gives significant benefits to customers. We are going to be learning how to maximize the benefits of this new technology in real-world situations together.”
“We also see significant benefits in this alliance,” agrees Vincent Laigo, Design Office at Fountaine Pajot. “There is a significant and growing proportion of our customer base that is looking for greater on-board living convenience, lower maintenance, increased sustainability and a more natural sailing experience. We believe that the new electric technology will answer many of these customer aspirations. We are also confident that this technical solution will be well supported around the world.”
A more in-depth review of the new technology will be published in the coming months, as Volvo Penta moves to lift the lid on the latest innovation during fall 2019.
