First Solar-Powered Speedboat

Ever find yourself relaxing by a lake only to have a loud, obnoxiously high-powered boat zoom by, and all the beauty of the lake is dissipated when you think about how much nasty pollution that boat just inserted in the water? Makes you not even want to dip your toes in, let alone eat that freshly-caught fish.

The Dutch have created the Czeers MK1 – the first solar-powered speed boat – which will help bridge a friendship between the love of speed and the love of the environment.

We’ve seen solar-powered boats around here before, but nothing as zippy as this. Reaching speeds of 30 knots and producing far less noise and pollution than its peers, this boat is 33 feet long and is covered in 150 square feet photovoltaic cells.

It’s pricy (a measly $1.1 million), but if you are torn between wanting the wind through your hair and your eco-conscience, then this boat could be worth the extra dough. It is definitely a luxury boat, as the creators added top-of-the-line features like leather interior and touch-screen-based control systems.

Okay, so these elements take quite a bit away from the eco-friendliness of it, but still, progress is progress. At least the solar-step has been made to get those conspicuous consumers on board. Now they can start working on better choices for construction materials.

And if you can’t afford this speed boat, there is always the solar-powered bicycle boat that you can pedal around the pond.

See it in action or check out more images at CzeersSolarboats

Via Uberreview, Engadget