Groupe Beneteau yesterday announced that it is partnering with the Fountaine Pajot Group to create E-Lektra Marine, which brings together seven sailing brands: Beneteau, Jeanneau, Lagoon, Excess, Fountaine Pajot Sailing Catamarans, Fountaine Pajot Yachts and Dufour. The aim of the partnership is to create a shared standard for electric propulsion and energy autonomy to accelerate electrification aboard sailboats.
“With E-Lektra Marine, two major players in the sailing industry are joining forces in an unprecedented alliance to accelerate the electrification of sailing,” Groupe Beneteau management board chairman Bruno Thivoyon said in a statement. “By combining our industrial expertise, we aim to establish open standards and make low-emission solutions simpler, more accessible and scalable.”
E-Lektra Marine will rely on a group of strategic partners that includes Alternatives Energies in La Rochelle, France, which specializes in electric systems integration; Cirtem in Toulouse, France, an expert in energy conversion and management; and EVE System in Lyon, France, a specialist in battery pack design.
By pooling the seven brands, representing 60% of the global market, E-Lektra aims to structure an open standard with a shared objective: to electrify 10% to 15% of the global sailing market by 2030, representing several hundred boats per year.
