Nova Luxe believe the hydrogen yacht now makes sense

Nova Luxe Elite 70 © Nova Luxe

Which came first the chicken or the egg? A common expression describing the need for one but the lack of the other leaves you with nothing. With some basic understanding of evolution, you should know the first chicken egg was laid by a bird that was not a chicken. It was very similar to a chicken but a genetic variation created an egg that was different then its parents. That variation was successful in life and bred additional chickens.

Why does this matter? It is because the use of electric motors and lithium batteries in yachts is breeding a new type of vessel. Nova Luxe believe the electric yacht is evolving into the hydrogen yacht. here's why...

First you need capable electric motors. Let's say this part of the puzzle was solved 100 years ago. Then in 2017 lithium ion batteries made it to the marine market in a big way. With these batteries you can instantly control a powerful electric motor. The fast discharge and re-charge rates provide superior performance and perfect control of the quiet, odorless motors.

This is the heart of the system, however, batteries can only feasibly power a yacht for about a day, so they must be charged. Solar is an excellent input; use the solar power for the house load or store it up in the propulsion bank and now you have unlimited range. However, it's not enough power to travel at higher speeds for long durations so we add one more piece of the puzzle: a diesel generator. Now you have a superior yacht, best in class. And now, the landscape has changed so much that hydrogen is worth another look.

A hydrogen motor to put it bluntly, sucks. Why? Because it takes a long time to increase or change speed. Now, if that hydrogen motor was used instead as a generator, one that always runs at about the same output, we get all the benefits of hydrogen without the downside. Hydrogen becomes a power input to the batteries, like solar and takes the spot of the diesel genset. The batteries accept power from different inputs and send power to the motors at exactly the desired rate.

This is how a hydrogen yacht will operate and will likely strike the same confusion of a solar yacht. In both cases, these yachts should be called battery powered yachts as they are the only units to drive the electric motors. Sure, they accept power from a variety of sources, shore power, solar, hydrogen, diesel, hydro but the systems backbone is the batteries. An appropriately sized battery bank and electric motors is the specialty of Nova Luxe.

As previously announced, Nova Luxe 70' and 80' yachts will include hydrogen generators and we will be working with our competitors to build the marine infrastructure around hydrogen and ensure filling facilities worldwide share the same standards.