Here's What You Need To Know About the Tesla Yacht
Jane Lu
· 4 min read
Tesla was the early dominator in the electric car market. The brand introduced the first electric
Cybertruck
, teased a mass transit solution with the Hyperloop, and has launched satellites and space tourists through SpaceX.Tesla is nearly ready to set sail with its $700 million luxury Model Y yacht. At the end of 2017, Tesla announced that it was creating a team to design a new electric yacht. Hopefully, we’re inching closer to its release.
In the meantime, here’s what we know so far about the yacht.
Behind the design of the Tesla Model Y yacht
According to
The Richest
, Tesla founder Elon Musk has kept his distance from the project, claiming little to absolutely no involvement in the design and development of the luxury yacht. Instead, Dhruv Prasad, an Indian designer, has been leading a team of Tesla designers and other employees in getting the boat from concept to sea.The company has not yet announced a launch date for the new yacht, but they offered a glimpse of the design features earlier this year.
While $700 million seems like quite a price tag for a luxury yacht, The Richest notes the typical luxury yacht owner dishes out an average of $400,000 a year for diesel to power their vessels. The Model Y will draw on solar and hydroelectric power and require little maintenance
What are the features of the Model Y yacht?
The Model Y appears to be mainly a 40-meter, or 131-foot, entertainment venue as it features only two decks, both with large entertainment areas and only two bedrooms.
The top deck is an open-concept space with a large bar that includes stools that can be withdrawn into the floor for more dancing room. The seating areas can also be adjusted at the touch of a button. A large roof covers the deck from stern to mid-section, and it features hundreds of tiny skylights that convert to LED lights after dark to keep the party going.
The ship's stern contains a small lounge area with deck chairs and a large Jacuzzi. A shutter door adorned with the Tesla logo can extend to cover the Jacuzzi in the event of adverse weather.
The lower deck also features an open concept with a $25,000 spa room on the starboard side and a seating area with panoramic windows on the port side. A cluster of circular tables also opens up into seats with the touch of a button.
The truly impressive part of the yacht is the electric engine that propels the ship silently through the sea. Two lithium batteries hold the charge for the ship, which can be powered through a large solar panel on the roof. A hydro-propulsion system backs up the batteries during cloudy days.
The electric future of the sailing industry
As the world transitions to electric vehicles, it wouldn’t be surprising if electric yachts become the new norm in the sailing industry. Tesla and SpaceX materials chief Dr. Charles Kuehmann recently converted his own Elan GT5 yacht into an electric model. But it's not just Tesla working on electric yachts.
Sunreef Yachts of Poland previewed its electric E yacht in 2019. Japanese motor manufacturer Nidec has also installed an electric power management system in a 165-foot Wider 165, according to
Superyacht Investor
. But neither of these models offers the self-sustainability of the Tesla.The Tesla yacht isn’t available just yet, but if you’re in the market for
boating insurance
, you'll find the best options through Jerry
. The app compares rates from name-brand providers to get you the most affordable price for the coverage you need.
