While normally associated with elite automotive innovations and F1 racecar engineering, Jaguar and Williams Advanced Engineering recently partnered to set a new world record for the fastest electric speedboat. The Vector V20E is a battery-powered boat that was able to crush the old world record by 12 mph, topping out at 88.6 mph on a one-kilometer course.
Although details on the battery, motor, and motor controls are being kept a secret, the presence of Williams and the name Vector leads most to believe that the boat is leveraging parts and technology found in Jaguar’s Formula E all-electric racing platform.
The boat also appears to be a pretty cool way of essentially working through a prototype engine that could be found under the hood of Jaguar cars in the coming years.
Last December, Jaguar Land Rover announced that it would cease producing cars powered solely by internal combustion engines by 2020. This change would be a dramatic shift to all-electric and hybrid vehicles. It would be a bold move for a company that has experienced significant revenue losses in recent years. Also, the company’s first electric car, the I-Pace, is not projected to be available until early next year.