Winnebago debuts all-electric Chris-Craft concept boat

The boat show season has begun, and Winnebago Industries is using the venues to introduce its first all-electric Chris-Craft boat.

The Eden Prairie-based recreational vehicle maker unveiled this week the Launch 25 GTe at the Miami International Boat Show.

The Chris-Craft business worked with Winnebago's R&D unit, the Advanced Technology Group, to develop the electric boat.

"This is our first manifestation of an electric marine product under the Winnebago Industries portfolio. We look forward to making future advancements within our marine segment," said Shailendra Singh, vice president of Winnebago Industries Advanced Technology Group, in a news release.

Winnebago Industries first got into the marine industry in 2018 with its purchase of Chris-Craft Corp., based in Sarasota, Fla., and made a bigger leap into the sector three years later with the purchase of Barletta Boat Co.

Like the auto industry, the marine industry is making a big shift to all-electric options that produce zero emissions.

The total global market for electric boats was $4.7 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow to $11.4 billion by 2028, according to industry research group Insight Partners.

Winnebago worked with EVOA Propulsion, a Florida-based company that is a leader in electric boat propulsion systems.

It may be a while until the Launch 25 GTe makes it into the annual sales brochure for Chris-Craft. Once the company has worked the concept through its paces, engineers will develop several working prototypes before moving to production models.

It's a similar process and timeline Winnebago is taking with the eRV that the Advanced Technology Group first introduced as a concept vehicle at the Florida RV Supershow in January 2022, following with multiple prototypes for the trade show a year later.

Also at Miami International Boat Show, Chris-Craft introduced a new 32-foot version in its Calypso lineup. The Calypso 32 is loaded with its own technology and will be powered by Mercury's new V-10 engine. Standard in the Calypso 32 will be Seakeeper Ride which helps control pitch and roll in rougher waters.