Vehicles that take advantage of solar power may become more common in the future, at least when it comes to boats and things like that. One of the most recently released vehicles is the Solar Sal 24, a massive 24-foot-long solar-powered boat that runs entirely off electric power thanks to the four 360W solar panels atop its canopy.
The new solar-powered boat is officially available for purchase and is the first to receive the designation of “100% solar US Coast Guard-inspected passenger vessel.” The boat also offers an onboard battery, which it can use to power the electric motor whenever solar power isn’t available.
However, because of the open nature of lakes and areas that the Solar Sal 24 might be used in, the four panels atop the solar-powered boat essentially allow it to offer an infinite range, so long as there is enough sun there to generate the electricity it needs and it isn’t run beyond a 5-knot cruising speed of around 6MPH (10km/h).
At night, the boat is capable of running for 24 miles at full speed or 45 miles at cruising speed before its onboard battery storage gives out. You can also drop it down to four knots and eke out 100 miles of range, giving you more than enough time to let the Sun come back up and start recharging it.
The solar-powered boat also offers the convenience of docking anywhere while still recharging its battery, as it doesn’t require being hooked up to dock power to recharge completely. By default, the Solar Sal 24 comes with two pedestal sliding captains chairs, bench seats with cushions, as well as a bilge pump, anchor light, overhead lights, cup holders, and a table.
The Solar Sal 24 will list for $135,000, and you can add on a bundled 9-inch chartplotter and transducer, anchor, rode, bow roller, bow thruster, Laveo dry flush marine toilet, window enclosure, and even a trailer. It might not be cheap, but it does list for less than several other electric boats on the market right now.
