Founded in 2020, BlueNav markets a range of electric motors from 15 KW to 50 KW intended for all types of boats. She won the jury prize at the innovation competition at the Salon Nautic in mid-December.
The young Gironde company BlueNav has been sailing towards success since its creation in 2020. Winner of the jury prize, product category, in the Innovation competition at the Salon Nautic on December 11, the BlueNav team ” fundraising which, we hope, could enable us to develop the European and American market in less than three years” , enthusiastically underlines Hugo de Malherbe, commercial director at BlueNav. The latter adds that “the company had 12 employees a year ago, against 28 today! » BlueNav sells a range of permanent magnet synchronous electric motors – from 15 KW to 50 KW – both for pleasure boats and professional vessels.
Founded two years ago in the Arcachon basin, BlueNav comes from the E-Nautic company specializing in electrical and electronic services for boats. “The E-Nautic teams have observed, by supporting individuals or professionals in the retrofitting of their boats, that there is no French solution in terms of electric or hybrid motorization. Which posed follow-up and maintenance problems for end customers…” says Mr. de Malherbe.
Corrosive environment
Although the technological brick has already been developed and optimized for the automotive sector ( permanent magnet synchronous motors ), BlueNav had to innovate on the materials side, to adapt them to an environment subject to corrosion and electrolysis phenomena. “The first subject is that of the durability and resistance of the turbines in the water, more than a year was needed for prototyping. We have also worked on the homogeneity of the metals (used for the screws and the rails which make it possible to retract our motors): we use sacrificial anodes, namely less noble metals which will be attacked instead of other metals over a period estimated at more than 1,500 hours in the water”, explains Mr. de Malherbe. While several patents have been filed by the startup, they concern less the materials aspect than mechanical engineering – the retractability and gyration systems of their motors – and the digital innovation of their “man-machine interface”.
The first BlueNav electric motors are not intended to propel the entire ship: the startup is positioning itself on what it calls “soft hybridization”. “There are certain places where it is forbidden to anchor, so as not to damage the seabed. Thanks to our electric motorization system coupled with a GPS, we are able to offer a “virtual mooring” which allows the boat to remain in stationary mode ”, develops the commercial director. Other regulations in favor of the protection of maritime areas are developing, assures Hugo de Malherbe: “There are now protected areas, particularly along the coasts, where it is forbidden to sail with heat engines. This is also the case for certain inland waters, notably in the Nordic countries. »
Objective: 100 engines sold by the end of 2022
In this favorable context, BlueNav is not alone on board and the competition is also making its mark. “Our two main competitors are Finland’s Ocean Volt (but only addresses the sailboat market) and Torqueedo (which only targets small engines). As for the big traditional players (Yamaha or Mercury for example), they are more positioned on electric equivalents of their current thermal ranges… which requires a large quantity of batteries! “
BlueNav, which has so far equipped a dozen boats resulting from prototypes, has the ambition to sell 100 engines by the end of 2022, produces within their factory based in the port of Arcachon. “We started marketing our engines barely three months ago. The industrialization of production is the major project of the moment! concludes the sales manager.
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