X-Shore Eelex 8000 sea trial and drag race: This electric speedboat will blow your mind!

If you haven’t yet heard of X Shore, we can guarantee you soon will. Hugo Andreae takes its X Shore Eelex 8000 all-electric sportsboat out for a spin to see how it measures up to its petrol rivals…

Founded in 2012 by Swedish tech entrepreneur Konrad Bergstrom to develop and build the world’s first mass-produced electric boats, X-Shore attracted thousands of column inches of press coverage and the investment to match.

Six years on and its initial aim of building an all-electric craft with a top speed of 40 knots and a cruising range of 50nm at 25 knots has been revised to a top speed of 30 plus knots and a range of 100nm at displacement speed only.

Crucially, however, the X Shore Eelex 8000 is now in build. The numbers may not be huge yet but with over 80 orders taken and 41 boats built, it is a proven product that on paper at least has the pace and ability to compete with its petrol-powered counterparts.

And unlike its Swedish rivals, the Candela C-7 and C-8, it doesn’t rely on computer-controlled foiling technology to deliver that performance, just a planing hull and a powerful electric shaft drive motor linked to a whopping great battery pack.

It’s a compelling offer that we were keen to test for ourselves but finding one we could sea trial during a Covid-affected launch period wasn’t easy. We finally managed to catch up with one in Palma, Mallorca, last month.

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Being a 2021 boat belonging to the local Agapi boat club, the hull and sterngear weren’t quite as clean as a brand new boat’s so bear that in mind when looking at our range and performance figures.

However, having been used and abused by multiple club members for the best part of a year, it does prove that this isn’t some fragile showpiece but a tough, practical boat that can be put to work like any other craft.

Read Hugo’s full review of the X Shore Eelex 8000 in the July issue of MBY, out June 2.

X Shore Eelex 8000 specifications

LOA: 26ft 2in (8m)
Beam: 8ft 6in (2.6m)
Draught: 2ft 7in (0.8m)
Displacement: 2,600kg
Battery capacity: 126kWh
Charging time: 6 hours at 32A
Test engine: 225kW Brusa brushless electric motor
Top speed on test: 30 knots
Range: 216nm @ 3 knots / 39nm @ 19 knots
RCD category: C for 10 people
Designer: X Shore
Starting price: €249,000 (ex. VAT)