Williams is working on an EV system for a 40ft yacht

Listen up Internet folk, there’s big news in the world of luxury yachts! No, we haven’t forgotten this is Top Gear, just bear with us for a moment…

Williams Advanced Engineering – the engineering and tech offshoot of Williams F1 – is working with fellow Oxfordshire-based firm OXIS Energy Ltd to develop the world’s first battery system for a luxury electric yacht.

Yep, boats are finally going electric. Hurrah!

Williams is building a mega 400kWh system using OXIS Energy’s lithium-sulfur cell technology, which is apparently a safer option for marine applications. Williams also says it has high energy density and is relatively cheap to produce.

OXIS’ Lithium-Sulfur tech contains no toxic or rare earth materials, and the system will be plumbed into a 40ft yacht built by Yachts de Luxe of Singapore. Looks pretty wild, doesn’t it? Apparently its range will be between 70 – 100 nautical miles at cruising speed, although there’s no word on how long it’ll take to charge from a three-pin plug.

Williams already supplies the Formula E world championship of course, and as of next year its drivetrains will be used in Extreme E and the PURE ETCR championship too.

Reckon all yachts should make the switch to sustainable power?