Hybrid water taxi brings modern tech to classic Venice design

Hybrid water taxi brings modern tech to classic Venice design

May 8, 2020 0 By Alicia Moore

The Nuvolari Lenard nautical design firm has launched the Thunder watercraft for the Italian city.

Nuvolari Lenard has launched a hybrid water taxi called Thunder for use in the Italian city of Venice.

The new 14-seater boat was designed with cleaner and more sustainable use and operation in mind.

The Thunder hybrid water taxi combines the classic wood style of the city’s easily recognized aquatic limousines. At the same time, it has incorporated a new propulsion system combining diesel and electric. The goal of this new system is to reduce the emissions produced by the boats. What the design company has created is a traditional looking craft that produces zero emissions while city cruising but that can still enjoy the greater range of a diesel.

Venice has been taking more sustainable local life and tourism very seriously for many years. The city is composed of almost 120 small islands interconnected by way of aquatic streets and roads. Therefore, in order to achieve greater sustainability, the focus needs to be on the emissions from the boats that travel these thoroughfares. Water transit is key. That is precisely what Carlo Nuvolari and Dan Lenard decided to show was possible for the city through its recent design.

The hybrid water taxi makes it possible to reduce emissions without sacrificing the luxury style.

“As Venetians, Dan and I feel a strong connection with the city and have experienced first-hand the damage that is being caused to its delicate structures, through air and noise pollution as well as physical erosion,” explained Carlo Nuvolari.

Nuvolari Lenard placed the spotlight on the subject during the Venice Boat Show in 2019. The solution at which they arrived in order to address this issue was the diesel-electric combination. The diesel engine made it possible to maintain the power and range when the boats head out into open water and when traveling from the airport. While using the diesel power, the battery charges, Hybrid water taxi - Taxi in Venice, Italystoring electric energy for use in the city’s canals which are travelled at lower speeds.

The Thunder hybrid water taxi can reach up to 306 hp and contains a 190-liter diesel fuel tank.

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