jetski
Latest
Electric jet ski promises eco-friendly watersports
For all of the choices you now have when it comes to electric cars, you're not so fortunate if you're looking for a personal watercraft. There have been attempts, but you're usually looking at a big hydrofoil rather than something as nimble and portable as a jet ski. Free Form Factory might just have what you want, though: it's taking pre-orders for the Gratis X1, which it claims is the first all-electric stand-up personal watercraft. The motor promises a quieter ride and lower running costs, like you'd expect with a land-based EV, but it also opens the door to riding on waterways that don't allow gas-powered machines. If your favorite river wasn't an option before, it might be now.
Exoconcept EXO all-electric jet ski: perfect for lake recon, your next indie action film
Part jet ski, part electric water scooter, 100 percent awesome. That's the Exoconcept Exo -- a new sea-born vehicle for stealth missions and the occasional run-in with Mr. Living Vicariously. The craft comes in a few flavors with shells made of high-end carbon fiber or ABS plastic, and engines ranging from 3.5-7kWh. Capable of cruising the open waters at a max speed of 15-27 knots (17-31 mph), it doesn't really rival the thrust of some of its non-electric cousins, but it's certainly fast and quiet enough for some reconnoitering or good old fashioned family fun. With four racks of Li Fe PO4 high capacity batteries, the motor powers a water jet turbine drive system to cut through waves without any sound pollution. Unfortunately, zipping around on electric power doesn't come cheap -- at €7,290 (or $9,939), it'll probably only appeal to those who also own the lake needed to enjoy it on. But hey, at least you've got until Q1 2012 to save up!
Eco Watercraft electric waverunner makes no sound, burns no fuel, zaps no fish
Beware Big Oil executives: EVs aren't content to just take over the morning commute. They're targeting all motorized leisure activities, and while we've already seen how an electric motorcycle can be just as much fun as a petrol-powered version, electric waverunners look to be next. The company is Eco Watercraft, pledging to build its machines in a factory powered by renewable means, thus giving the vehicles twice the green cred. The model in the videos embedded below doesn't look like it could stand a chance of keeping up with some of the more powerful watercraft on the market today, like Yamaha's ridiculous FX Cruiser SHO and its supercharger, but it should be good enough to get your kicks whilst earning fewer dirty looks from birdwatching kayakers. Now if only we knew how much that privilege will cost you.[Via TreeHugger]
WaveBreaker: the electric, inflatable jet-ski
Nah, the WaveBreaker probably won't provide the kind of thrills that a jet-powered kayak would, but riding around on this thing is a lot less likely to leave you maimed. This electric, inflatable watercraft comes loaded with a 600-watt motor, weighs 66-pounds, and touts the ability to scoot around for "45 to 75 minutes" before needing a recharge. Of course, we hope you weren't planning on picking one of these up for racing, as the 6.21mph top speed may hurt your chances at victory. Reportedly, this bad boy is slated to arrive in America later this month for the low, low price of $499 -- just steer clear of Cypress knees and stray fish hooks, ya heard?[Via Gizmag]
Vice City's watery playground
It's common knowledge that you'll now be able to play in the water in the PSP's Vice City Stories. Although swimming was introduced in the PS2's San Andreas, this handheld iteration of the popular series will feature the most complex water-based gameplay in the franchise's history, according to IGN. Each vehicle in the game will respond to the game's new water physics model: they'll bob in the water, be affected by currents and be slowed down by drag. (It's like you're buying GTA and getting Wave Race for free.) Using the jet-ski, you'll be able to do drive-by shootings on the water, terrifying rich boat owners. The APV sounds exciting, as you'll be able to drive it around and enter the water when you really need to make a dramatic getaway.With speedboats, yachts, sailboats, zodiacs, airboats, and more, Vice City Stories "might have the largest collection of sea-based vehicles in gaming history," which is especially impressive when you consider the platform's diminuitive size. By making the waterways important to gameplay, gamers can expect tons of mini-games: swimming events, boat and jet ski races. Heck, if you feel like being a good guy and wash your hands of all the sin you're committing, there's no better way than to partake in a water rescue mission. Is anyone else concerned that this game might feature too much content?Vice City Stories hits stores at the end of this month.
Why you want Vice City Stories: the interview
Ever since the official trailer for Vice City Stories dropped on us, Rockstar has been very actively hyping this PSP-exclusive follow-up to the insanely successful Liberty City Stories. (Of course Rockstar doesn't have much of a choice: this game may be the only thing that saves the company from financial ruin.) IGN recently had a chance to talk to Gordon Hall from Rockstar, and Mr. Hall (obviously) has a lot of good things to tell us: Game features twice the number of polygons and a new radiosity lighting model. A new way to have the CPU and GPU communicate to each other was developed so that improvements could be made across the board. A new streaming process and lossless animation streaming allows the game to load more data at once. "With the Jet Ski you can dive under water and come bursting back up, you can really feel it bounce off the waves as the weather conditions change, you can turn on a dime and really send the water spraying." (Sounds like they packed in an entire water racing game in our GTA!) "The combat system has more depth to it than any other Grand Theft Auto game." Targeting and combat has been tweaked just a bit: you can now fight unarmed and do grappling moves and throws. "The soundtrack has over 100 tracks, and is probably the best, deepest collection of songs ever assembled for any one project -- TV, Film, or Game." (But the game includes Custom Soundtracks too if you don't like retro music.) Call me stunned. I know this is mostly PR hype, but considering how amazing the original Liberty City Stories was, I'm willing to believe that Rockstar is making this game a masterpiece. It sounds to be this could be the best GTA yet... handheld and console. And you didn't even have to wait until 12:01 AM for such amazing news. The game hits America the same time as Killzone. Ouch: my wallet's already crying.
Aquada maker unveils Quadski ATV / jet ski combo
You've already got both a car and an SUV that can magically transform into watercraft at the touch of a button, but what to do about your spoiled kids who want to go from land to sea without changing vehicles? Luckily for you, Aquada and Humdinga (that name still kills us) manufacturer Gibbs Technologies has just revealed a prototype product that's sure to be hit with the younger crowd at your summer house: the Quadski dual-purpose ATV / jet ski. Equally at home in sand or surf, the Quadski can hit a claimed 50 miles-per-hour traveling on either surface, thanks to a 140-horsepower engine and a propulsion system protected by no less than 60 patents. The switch from ATV to jet ski supposedly takes a mere five seconds, and a full tank of gas will give you either a 372-mile range on land or two hours to tool around in the water -- but don't go getting the kids too hyped up, because there's no word on when/if the Quadski will see mass production.[Via Gizmag, thanks Madeleine]
