Solar powered pleasure boat gets design overhaul

February 3, 2009 The Loon is a well known North American water bird that appears on the Canadian one-dollar coin (hence the "Loonie") and it's also the name of a solar equipped pontoon boat from Ontario based Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company that is in the process of receiving a major design overhaul courtesy of the team responsible for the radical teardrop shaped Aptera 2e electric car.

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The 22-foot long revamped Loon design can cover an estimate 35 miles a day at a maximum of around seven knots using solar energy and features a light-weight twin-hull composite construction with a flexible interior configuration and removable side-rails made from bamboo, natural fibers and recycled plastic.

The roof which holds the craft's 1000W solar panel array from can also be power-lowered onto the rails for easier transportation on terra firma and when its AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) batteries are recharged, the excess power generated while the boat is in dock can be fed back into the grid.

The houses responsible for the new design - Design by 11E and Motive Industries - list some very recognizable projects among their respective portfolios including the Aptera 2e, the Icon A5 aircraft and the Kia Soul'ster concept car.

There's no detailed performance specs or confirmed timeframe for a launch at this stage, but according to Autobloggreen, the Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company plan to begin production mid-year at its new factory in Buffalo, New York.

Via Autobloggreen, Design by 11, Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company.