Silent safaris set sail with electric outboard

The outboards will be used after a partnership was announced with Pangolin Photo Safaris, which takes travellers on wildlife photography safaris – which work better when the vessels run as quietly as possible.

RAD Propulsion’s 40kW electric drive technology has been installed on the Pangolin Voyager, comprising four RAD40 drives and two RAD 61kWh batteries that are entirely powered by solar panels, RAD says.

The houseboat will travel the Chobe River, which forms the natural boundary between Namibia and Botswana and has huge potential for snapping wildlife.

Back in Europe, electric propulsion has become a big growth area, particularly for small commercial craft working in harbour settings.

RAD Propulsion went into full production of its RAD40 last year, aided in part by successfully closing a £4.27m (€4.91m) funding round, the raise comfortably exceeding the company’s initial target of £2.5 million.

“Partnering with Pangolin Photo Safaris on the Pangolin Voyager demonstrates how electric propulsion can transform the environmental footprint of marine tourism and the quality of the guest experience,” said Peter Byford, chief technology officer at RAD Propulsion. “Our RAD 40 system delivers the precision and quiet needed for wildlife photography, and we’re proud to be powering a project that aligns so closely with our mission to accelerate the shift to smarter, cleaner marine travel.”