AUTONEWS

e-Macan on the water: aboard the Frauscher X Porsche Fantom Air

What exactly happens if I activate Sport Plus mode now? “Then the maximum speed for the last 10 km/h will be activated,” Florian shouts amidst the roar of the wind. Then it reaches a top speed of 85 km/h. That doesn't sound like much for a Porsche. Quite a lot for a sports boat with a seaworthiness classification (CE category) C, i.e., for coastal waters.

We put the lever on the table. In other words: the throttle (or whatever it's called here in relation to the electric propulsion). The bow of the 8.67-meter-long boat rises slightly, the propulsion immediately implements the start command, and the noises of the gearbox and the Z-drive (Mercury's 3XR type, usually for racing boats) are lost in the great noise. "Compared to our Fantom with a combustion engine, the weight distribution is a little more balanced, so you don't have to work as hard with the equipment," explains Florian, the Helmberger surname and authorized representative at Frauscher, a family-owned company in the Salzburg region founded in 1927. Electric boats have been built there since 1955, but for rent to tourists on local lakes, up to 3,000 per year.

In contrast, until now, exclusive sport boats were mainly available with high-volume combustion engines. Why did Porsche initiate this project together with the shipyard? The romantic reason: a marine version of the 356's four-cylinder boxer engine already existed, and even the 928's V8 engine. Since its origins (and even more so since its IPO), Porsche has considered itself a luxury brand and wants to live up to this claim beyond its automobiles.

Customers were surveyed and saw it: 34 percent already own a motorboat, 56 percent find the electrification of boats exciting, and 80 percent would buy an electric boat from the Porsche brand. Porsche projects that don't focus on four wheels often involve the company's own design studio in Zell am See, which in this case designed the cockpit, which, like the entire boat, is based on the Frauscher 858 Fantom Aire. The visual parallels aren't hidden, though, but the steering feel on the steering wheel of the 911-generation 991 is, of course, completely different: much less direct, slower, and more fluid.

Anyone who has ever paddled in a rowboat, a SUP, or even just on an air mattress knows the feeling. However, there are no comparisons with other sport boats. After all, the combustion-engine version of the Fantom Air can also be driven, behaves equally agile, and is louder—yes, louder, because the V8 engine sounds rather dull and anemic. It could just as easily be a four-cylinder.

The e-boat's power, on the other hand, is 400 kW maximum power and 500 Nm: right there in your right hand, it's easy to regulate and can also be adapted to your needs using the Docking, Range, Sport, and Sport Plus mode buttons. And the range? Up to three hours in the typical customer driving profile: slow driving, cruising, and full acceleration. Or 45 km cruising. Then you have to charge the 100 kWh battery, which is possible with over 250 kW (800-volt grid). Charging infrastructure? As more and more inland waterways prohibit motorboats, the network should soon become denser. And the weight? 2,800 kg, as much as the version with a combustion engine and a full tank, which has a capacity of 350 liters.

Weight distribution... According to Florian, the weight distribution means the nose dips sooner when driving through larger waves, which can definitely be a disadvantage. "Experienced sailors can compensate for this, but most people won't even find themselves in such a situation," says Florian. Most customers only go out when the weather conditions are perfect.

Speaking of waves: "It can happen that up to 50 g affects the hull when it hits the water surface," says Michael Frauscher, one of the boatbuilding company's managing directors. Yes, the water can be quite hard, and that doesn't mean the pH. For comparison, a car is designed for a maximum load of five G, but over a wider frequency range.

However, this value could only be determined through collaboration with Porsche engineers, as "they wanted to know everything and, in the first step, equipped a boat with comprehensive measurement sensors," says Frauscher. The consequence: the drivetrain, consisting of the permanently excited synchronous motor, battery, and power electronics, is suspended from eight-wire dampers, which are normally used in tanks. In addition, the water cooling circuit had to be adapted to heat exchangers.

Anything else? Yes, the electronics: it queries parameters in the Macan, some of which don't exist on the boat. For example: Are the seatbelts fastened? Are the doors closed? An additional control unit thus tells the driver that it's a car. When cruising on the gently undulating Lake Garda, everything runs smoothly: you quickly forget about looking at the five round instruments and focus instead on controlling the power, trying to assess the boat's reactions, and keeping an eye on other road users. Because with up to 46 knots (that's the top speed of 85 km/h), you're one of the really fast ones. For the extended family: for 9 people, from €668,000

With a base price of €668,423 (roughly double that of the combustion-engine version), they're also one of the most valuable on the lake. Included in the price: a stainless steel anchor, a high-end multimedia and sound system, a portable refrigerator, and underwater lighting. Oh yes: As the only model with the Porsche logo on the steering wheel, the Fantom Air offers space for nine people and two rest areas. Frauscher will initially build 25 boats with electric Macan propulsion.

Without a full complement of gear, you like to let it fly, you dare to perform delicate maneuvers in corners, you prefer to release power gently as the radius narrows, and then you feel better. Control systems? One. The boatman's right hand. You'll experience special driving fun, where you can, so to speak, create your own routes—as long as you're on the water. Whether the boat travels at 10 km/h or so becomes irrelevant. On the other hand: Sport Plus pressed and lever on the table!

Our opinion: Cruising in a Macan... Sure, a motorboat isn't relevant to transport policy. A Porsche car can be more easily justified. In some cases, an electric drive brings a lot of driving pleasure, but it also increases costs. Charging infrastructure? Difficult. In any case, the Frauscher x Porsche Fantom Air 850 seems well thought out and drives as dynamically as expected, which is why it fits in well with the upcoming E-Macan, which we already drove as a prototype. The only thing is that the car can't pull the 2.8-ton boat. The trailer load is too low.

Mundoquatrorodas