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Hydrogen-Powered Luxury Tender Range APHROS Hits the Market
Hydrogen-powered, true ‘zero-emission’ boating is often regarded as a thing of the distant future in the yachting industry. That is, until now. Cris Jackman and the team at Aphros Boats have spent the last few years hard at work to make his dream of sustainable boating a fully-fledged reality. The result is revolutionary; a range of tenders and day boats comprising a 4.4m, 8m and 11m weekender boat, fully capable of operating on either all-hydrogen or all-electric platforms, with hybrid options available.
A collection for all occasions, the Aphros boats’ capabilities range from 6 hours on all-electric and 14 hours on hydrogen drive on the 4.4m, up to 5 hours on electric and over 8 hours on hydrogen on the 11m weekender boat. Capable of charging from either standard shore power sockets or with fast-charging capabilities, the range looks to marry practicality, functionality and environmental consciousness with zero compromise on luxury feel.
In partnership with anything-but-traditional designer Oz Lancaster of OS Designs & Partners, APHROS’ mould-breaking platform is echoed by the boats’ sleek, alternative looks. For the tenders, Oz worked hard to devise a range of hidden features aimed at maximising space and functionality, such as a sleek pop-up table which folds down to be completely flush with the decking, and convertible bathing platform aft. But perhaps the most exceptional design feature is the colour-changing finish of the boats, designed to change between three different shades according to their surroundings, “like pearls in the ocean”. This minimalist ethos of blending in with an enhanced vision of nature was a consistent theme in the team’s design process - Oz Lancaster tells us more:
“Everything is sustainable on Aphros, from the cushion fabric through to the teak alternative made of recycled plastics. Everything has been thought through, nothing has been thought after.”
If the innovative propulsion and sustainable build material did not go far enough, these are not the only ways Aphros seeks to present a more conscious alternative to the yachting industry.
“We’ve looked to fully develop the boats so that they’re ready to build at a very affordable price point,” Cris Jackman explains. Priced between 60,000 and 500,000 EUR, Aphros will look to engage the attention of those not exclusively within the category of ‘UHNWIs’ into the yachting industry, in an effort to make our industry ever more accessible to the next generation of owners.
Of course, the enduring question of hydrogen bunkering has always been a stumbling block in discussions around this particular alternative fuel source. Cris is unperturbed by this limitation though, having played an active role in discussions with officials around the potential installation of a hydrogen station in the yachting hub of Monaco.
The all-electric options will also come with fast-charging capabilities as well as being easily retrofittable should hydrogen become more readily available in the near future.