While Maryland officials are in Sweden to conduct environmental research, examine the feasibility of using electric ferries, and meet Swedish leaders, Annapolis Boat Show goers are considering electric boats.

The event draws hundreds of visitors from around the world, but electric boats are still relatively new. Last year, there were approximately four on display. That number doubled to about eight this year, according to Ryan Gullang, communications coordinator for the show.

Erick Pinzon, one of the owners of Electrified Marina, an electric boat dealer in Norfolk, Virginia, says that marketing electric boats to customers who are not what he calls ‘early adopters,’ or people who are already using electric transportation, is “an uphill battle.” He cites a lack of “education” on what electric boats can do.

Joe Linguadoca, an Eastport resident who bought a boat that uses traditional fuel at the show, said that he didn’t even know electric boats were an option.

“This is about the equivalent of being in electric cars in 2008 to 2010, there’s only a handful of options,” Pinzon said. “There are usually some compromises, whether its limited range or higher cost and so we have to find the right target buyer that fits into that they can afford a more expensive boat, or they’re looking for a lower speed electric boat.”

Electric boats are not optimal for deep-sea fishing trips or long-distance boating, Pinzon said. The infrastructure — chargers and superchargers — are not readily accessible at marinas, said Udo Willersinn, co-founder of Yacht Sales International. Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with a sales office in Eastport, the company sells electric, hybrid and diesel boats. Willersinn says that without the infrastructure to support a fully electric boat, recharging becomes difficult. His company typically sells hybrid yachts because they can switch to fuel when the charge runs out.

“If you’re going to go to a regular marina, you’re talking 12,14, 15 hours in recharging. So, [a] supercharger can charge the boat in three hours, but the superchargers are not here,” Willersinn said.

“It’s like the egg or the chicken, what came first? If we don’t have a supercharger, we can’t sell electric boats. If there [are] no electric boats, it makes no sense to put [in] supercharger[s].”

Electric engine manufacturers also need to be able to prove they can support boats, said Beau Davis, from Chesapeake Whalertowne, in Grasonville, Maryland.

What they are optimal for though, Pinzon said, are leisure trips around lakes, traveling small distances, and taking fixed-route trips.

Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley has been championing the acquisition of an electric ferry since his reelection in 2021. Last year, the city took a step toward that goal when it received a $2.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Ferry service, which is still in the early planning stages, would run from Annapolis City Dock to Fifth Street in Eastport.

Anne Arundel County is also looking to dip its toes in the electric ferry market. In September, the county received a nearly $3.9 million federal grant for a ferry system that would travel along the Chesapeake Bay. Currently, Anne Arundel and city officials are weighing options such as boats from Candela, a Swedish company that made its Annapolis Power Boat Show debut last year.

In the meantime, the electric boat has a long way to go to earn its spot in the market.

“I’m really interested in working with local governments, so that we’re going to get some supercharger installed. That is going to be the key feature to get electric yachting moving forward, because if you can’t recharge, what are you going to do if you need a day to recharge for … a three-hour trip and you need 20 hours to recharge. That’s not feasible,” Willersinn said.

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