Something I’m going to be keeping an eye out for on Georgian Bay this summer are any signs of the new electric personal watercraft from Montreal’s Taiga Motors. The company has gain accolades for its electric snowmobiles and PWCs, and in December 2022 announced it was delivering its first Orca Carbon PWCs to the Florida market. The Globe & Mail yesterday reported that the company’s future remains fraught with risk, owing to a cash burn. But if it can push forward and overcome production headaches, we may well be treated to the unusual sight of dead-quiet PWCs on the Great Lakes. There’s enough money in cottage country (and among high-end yacht owners who tow PWCs) that this summer may be the time to keep your eyes peeled.
Overall, electric adoption feels slow in the boating community. I’ve written about our Torqeedo outboard, which we added to our dinghy last year. We’re in a marina with more than 600 boats, and I haven’t seen another one. The big problem electrification still needs to overcome in planing powerboats (like my Limestone 24EXP) is range. We don’t yet have the battery technology to provide hours of running time.
Wild Great Lakes 