Hybrid Yacht Using Solar, Diesel and Electric Power

Pilot LLC have unveiled the first ever hybrid luxury yacht dubbed the Island Pilot DSe Hybrid 12m. The 40-ft yacht combines the benefits of solar, electric and diesel power.
The Hybrid can travel at 6 knots running only on solar power and 13 knots with the addition of diesel. Of course, the yacht doesn’t come cheap—plan on shelling out $600,000 if you want one.

Island Pilot emphasizes that the hybrid technology doesn’t take away from the yacht’s luxury amenities, which include a Garmin HD radar, Tecnautic “Fly by Wire” controls and gyro autopilot, 4 zones of air conditioning, hi-tech refrigeration with ice maker, and a 26″ HDTV.

But why would anyone think the addition of solar power to a yacht would somehow detract from its luxuriousness? Perhaps this is one of the problems with alternative energy—some people have an inherent mistrust of anything unfamiliar. Hopefully the increasing accessibility of solar, wind, and geothermal will alleviate these concerns.

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