"SeaScape" human-electric hybrid pedal boat
 

Once in a while I like to mess around by electrifying small boats (EG: solar powered Laser sailboat, canoe), but I have long thought that a hybrid pedal-electric boat would be the cat's meow for tooling around on a small lake (or on the St. Lawrence on a calm day).

A company has made a high-tech 24v boat with independent pedal mechanisms and user-adjustable levels of electric assist.

I've ridden one of their Bionx e-bikes, and it really is quite slick how they work: with torque sensing, the system "amplifies" your effort. (Thus the company name.)

Boat specs:

24 volts
lithium chemistry (not 100% clear on this, but Li if it's like their bikes)
up to 5 kts (~8 km/h / 6 mph)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFCrNf4zaJw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djKD5Lb7iJM

http://www.bionxseascape.com/media/g...gallery_02.jpg

http://www.bionxseascape.com/media/g...gallery_04.jpg

From: SeaScape 12 Powered by BionX | electric assisted intellignet watercraft

At the cottage my family goes to, the pedal boat (non-hybrid!) is the most used vessel in the fleet. I could see a hybrid version getting more use: more suitable for younger or older captains, or just taken on longer trips by the usual suspects.

I have made some research for BionX conversion on bikes. But there is still something I do not understand. Is the assist system only working when pedaling, or you can use the bike 100% electric?

Is the boat boat electric system only working when pedaling.

I have heard that in some countries like France, UK and Deutschland, it is illegal to use an electric bike or a boat that is not assisted with pedaling. IE, when you stop pedaling, the assist automaticly stops.

Have you ever heard info on this?

I've never seen something like this in Brazil, and electric-assisted bicycles became relatively popular back here.

It's a bit different though.

What you're referring to, is part of the requirement for an assisted bicycle (pedelec) to legally still be seen as a bicycle.

We do have fully electric "bikes" that are officially classified as mopeds (25kph and 45 kph) though, because you don't need to pedal with them. It also means you have to wear a helmet when driving one, and you need a licence for the 45 kph version.