Feltrinelli (Feltrinelli Shipyard): "I support electric, but it takes time."

This feature was first published in issue 3-2025 of the Yacht Upstream supplement available at this link

Imported to Italy by Cantiere Nautico Feltrinelli, based in Gargnano on Lake Garda, Frauscher is considered one of the pioneers of electric propulsion, and its models are often found in the garages of superyachts as luxury tenders. Furthermore, the Austrian shipyard recently signed a partnership with Porsche to develop high-performance electric models. SUPER YACHT 24 interviewed Mauro Feltrinelli, one of the shipyard's main dealers, who explained how, "At the recent Venice Boat Show, we presented the new 747 Mirage Air, which inaugurates our technical collaboration with the Norwegian company Evoy, which supplied the electric motor that can finally be coupled to a sterndrive."

For which models will Evoy supply electric motors?

“The shipyard has four technical partnerships for electric propulsion: Porsche for the top-of-the-range models, Evoy/Kreisel for the high-performance ones, Molabo for the medium-powered ones and Kräutler for the low-powered ones.”

How much is the electricity market worth to Frauscher?

“It currently represents 35% of the numbers, out of 85 units produced per year approximately 35-40% are electric”.

And in Italy?

“There's no real market at the moment, also because we don't have the infrastructure either on Lake Garda or elsewhere. For example, Frauscher participated in the Venice Biennale, where Porsche was the main sponsor of the Norman Foster Foundation Team. Everything went well, but it was a complicated experience to manage because we only had one fast charger provided by Aqua superPower. Of the two available sockets, only one worked, and the promised 75 kW of power was delivered intermittently. We had to manage the ranges very carefully.”

So we're not ready for electric?

"Actually, yes, the product exists, but we're still a long way from being able to utilize it. Regarding infrastructure, the first project on Lake Garda is Nautica Casarola's, with a charging station that hasn't been connected yet due to permit issues with the municipality. We also have one on the way, but it'll take time because the supplier can't guarantee us enough energy. It's not easy; electric propulsion is very interesting, it's making great strides, and this is also evident in the investments made by Porsche, one of the main players in the sports car market, which has found in Frauscher a solid partner to launch its entry into the nautical sector and conduct research into electric propulsion even in the water. The numbers are still small; I'm not a detractor, I'm a big supporter of electric propulsion, but we need to be realistic; it still takes time. Not only does the lack of infrastructure hinder the success of electric boating, but also the limited range (obviously) and the weight of the batteries, which in the water plays a decisive role in performance and fuel consumption."

How many boats does the collaboration with Porsche involve?

"It's based on an order for 25 Frauscher 850s, which we're developing in the Fantom and Fantom Air versions. The hull is the same, but the deck is different: closed in the first case, open in the second. The powertrain is Porsche while the transmission is Mercruiser with the Bravo III XR drive, a product capable of absorbing the high torque of the Porsche engine well but redundant for the inverter unit, which would not be needed: the electric motor reverses the rotation by inverting the electric field. I hope that in the future we will be able to have a direct transmission without an inverter because now all the reduction and reversal are done by the engine electronics.

Let's talk about Frauscher and luxury tenders…

"Tendering is currently one of the best uses for high-performance electric propulsion: generously sized generators, no need for extra fuel tanks for the tender, short trips, and often in crowded harbors where the roar of internal combustion engines would be criticized, make electric propulsion highly desirable! It's always a thrill when we manage to install a tender on a superyacht. I fondly remember the delivery in La Spezia of a Frauscher 1017 GT Air on a Sanlorenzo SL62 Steel. Frauscher has always been present in the luxury tender and chase boat market, but due to corporate philosophy, it has never wanted to enter the pure custom segment; it represents a type of workmanship that is beyond the scope of a company aiming for industrialization. We find the type of clientele that accepts a product as is, with minor adjustments."

Other tenders on board important yachts?

“I remember we supplied one of the first Frauscher 686 Lidos to Vsy Roma, custom-built for the yacht with bumpers instead of the stainless steel hull. I remember Ronin, with two 747 Mirages, one with a closed deck and the other open. And recently the Rossi Navi shipyard contacted me for the measurements of the Frauscher 1017; the owner asked for a garage specifically designed for our boat. So the opposite happens: it's the shipyards that build the yachts with the measurements to accommodate a Frauscher, not the other way around.”

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