There’s finally an electric vehicle with a connection to Tesla that can be piloted on water. No, it’s not the Cybertruck, it’s the Blue Innovations Group (BIG) R30, a new yacht that publicly hit the waves for the first time this weekend.
The boat was launched on December 16, in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the company is based. It will provide “the ultimate boating experience,” according to John Vo, BIG’s founder and CEO. Before taking on the high seas, Vo was Tesla’s head of global manufacturing.
“The R30 was designed from scratch. We threw out the playbook most boatbuilders follow because if you squint your eyes at a boat show, most boats look the same,” said Vo. “The R in R30 stands for Revolution, we decided to offer something radically different, radically better.”
Read: Blue Innovations Group Delays Production Of All-Electric, 800 HP Cabin Cruiser
The electric yacht is equipped with a 221 kWh battery pack that weighs 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) and powers two motors with a combined 800 HP (596 kW/811 PS), which will get it up to a targeted top speed of 45 mph (72 km/h). In addition, it comes with an integrated UI, and solar charging capability to make it a first-of-its-kind all-electric cabin cruiser.
Measuring 30 feet (nine meters) long, BIG bills the R30 as the perfect vessel for friends and families who want to enjoy the water. To that end, it has a “folding ocean terrace” that expands to allow for more deck space. It also comes with a kitchenette, a fridge, air conditioning, and a bathroom with a bidet.
First shown off at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, interested customers for the R30 can reserve one for $1,000. If they want to be one of the first 100 to get an R30, they can pay for the “BIG Reservation,” which costs $5,000.
Production of the yacht is set to begin in the third quarter of 2024 (not Q2, as was initially indicated), and it has a targeted price of $300,000.