Sun^eBoat

Fishing is the main source of income for many families in the African countries south of the Sahara on the West and East African coasts and on the large lakes in the central parts of the continent, e.g. Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi. The fishing boats are mainly powered by gasoline outboard motors. Rising fuel costs are making the business increasingly unprofitable. The purchase of gasoline alone costs 400-500 EUR/month. There are an estimated 100,000 fishing boats around the world’s largest freshwater lake – Lake Victoria. These produce up to 1,000,000 tons of CO2 per year, contributing to global warming and polluting the water, the fishermen’s livelihood.

Mobility as a service: The Powerhouse concept in conjunction with mobile, lightweight and portable Powerpacks (VoltaMove2Go) provides a remedy: Sun^eboat – electric mobility on the water, adapted to the needs and economic conditions of fishermen in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Electric outboard motors with an output of 6 kW (10 hp) and VoltaMove2Go battery packs (48 V and 4.8 kWh storage capacity) power the boats. The range on one battery charge is up to 40 km – completely emission-free and with the sun as the only source of energy. Initial pilot projects are underway in Gambia and on Lake Victoria in Tanzania.