A personal touch

The time has come, and Riva has joined the club of luxury electric powerboat manufacturers with elegance and full confidence. The brand from Sarnico has been producing its youngest model, the eight-meter Iseo runabout, for 13 years already. Instead of just developing a new version of the Iseo Super to update it, the brand management has made an unexpected move: in addition to the design improvements, they have replaced the interior and entered the e-luxury category with a new El-Iseo.

The real Italian style is evident in its noble forms, retro charm, and first-class finishing materials. Maestros Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta from Officina Italiana Design, responsible for the exterior of all Riva yachts and boats, deserve praise for their work and efforts. They claim that by developing this model, they "married" traditions to innovations.

As a result, we get these style techniques, embodying the timeless elegance that has long captivated bohemian hearts since the 1950s. Things like mahogany bow, deck, and stern platform, meticulously coated with multiple layers of varnish, and stainless-steel parts are truly a sight to behold for this kind of public. And let's not forget the cockpit and control station, which have been reimagined with a fresh, modern design. The first hull is painted in a unique shade of sky blue, called the Californian. The aquamarine waterline looks particularly aristocratic against this backdrop.

The boat's layout has been masterfully redesigned, offering a host of new features. The classic Iseo featured a sofa at the back, accompanied by two armchairs in the front of it along the sides. Now, the sofa has been enlarged, making it to envelope the cockpit on three sides. This change makes it incredibly convenient to climb on it, stretch out, and sunbathe. And when it's time for a party, a retractable table could be easily deployed to accommodate more guests. In all other cases, it is neatly stowed away under the cushion on the starboard side. The Sky shade cushions perfectly complement the main colours, blending style and comfort. Italians have a unique way of blending elegance with effortlessness. The scattered cushions on a snow-white sofa are a testament to the Italian term "sprezzatura," a combination of elaborated, beautiful carelessness and effortless grace. That is a uniquely Italian design.

And if it rains, the fully automatic soft top of the Capote retractable roof, reminiscent of a folding car roof, will close the cockpit in a flash. There is even a water ski cable mount in the middle of the hull floor, and all other of your water gear could be neatly stored in the bow end of the boat.

The boat's steering wheel and dashboard have been redesigned and reworked, and the classic cockpit design is given an ultra-modern look, which is a perfect counterpoint. A Simrad chart plotter with a 9- or 12-inch diagonal and a 12-inch Böning screen provides vital information about the onboard systems, including driving mode data and battery levels. The Xenta company expertly developed and integrated the steering system with all other on-board systems.

The electric version boasts a powerful Parker GVM310 engine, delivering 250 kW (peak power reaches 300 kW). This impressive vessel cruises at a speed of 25 knots and can reach a maximum speed of 40 knots. The version equipped with an internal combustion engine reaches 41 knots, but the El-Iseo beats it with its unparalleled acceleration. Both boats are equipped with the same Mercury 3XR tilt and turn column, just like a diesel version.

To achieve maximum stability while cruising, the El-Iseo boasts a stern-driven automatic engine trim system and a Zipwake interceptor for trim correction. 

The boat sails in three speed modes. Their names correspond to the tempos of the classical music: adagio, andante, and allegro.

Adagio (“slow, lingering") is the eco-friendly displacement mode. The maximum speed is only 5 knots, but the energy consumption is minimal, and the sailing time increases up to 10 hours. This mode is suitable for those who like relaxing strolls and enjoy the surrounding nature while gliding on the smooth surface of a picturesque lake.

To accelerate, you should switch over to Andante mode. In this “smooth” mode, cruising speed and acceleration are comparable to a typical boat of similar length, equipped with an internal combustion engine, and it reaches the maximum glide speed of 25 knots. 

For those who like nothing better than to race, the Allegro sport mode is a must. That is where El-Iseo can fully show its wild, untamed nature and achieve the maximum top speed of 40 knots. However, when the charge drops to 20%, you'll be in for a surprise. The boat system will automatically change mode and slow down to Adagio. This very handy feature will allow you to quietly cruise another 10 nautical miles to your either mooring or charging point. And for sure, with such a feature, the batteries will serve you much longer.

El-Iseo boat became a yachting debut for Podium Advanced Technologies, a company specialising in batteries, car design, and motorsports. PAT batteries are more efficient, extremely lightweight, and 10 times more durable than lead-acid batteries.

The battery pack has a built-in redundant configuration. Two 150 kWh (800 V) batteries operate independently from each other. Should one of them fail, the boat will still be able to keep going. They are located between the cockpit and the aft sunbed, at the front of the engine room, and under the sun-shaded compartment. The batteries are easily accessed by simply removing a pop-up panel. They are surrounded by an airtight-sealed fibreglass casing, wrapped in a high-tech, aerospace-grade lining. It weighs only 5 kg and creates an insurmountable heat shield from the flame. The batteries are fitted with a liquid cooling system, the most efficient system for rapid heat transfer. A special sensor reacts to its leaks and alerts the on-board system.

The electric charging port is hidden on the left from the sunbed under a beautiful grille, reminiscent of a sports car air intake. If you're in a hurry, you can turn on a boost mode and go from 20% to 80% of battery charge in 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Particular attention has been paid to onboard safety from the design stage onwards. And as a result, the Riva El-Iseo is the first all-electric boat awarded Class B safety by the Italian registry RINA. This category covers boats designed for wind strength up to 8 points inclusive and wave height more than 4 meters. It's very rare for an open model like this to obtain this level of certification.

The elegant eight-meter electric boat can be used as a tender. Thanks to special fasteners in the hull, it can be easily lifted onto the deck of a superyacht and fit in the garage.

A quiet runabout with a shallow draft is indispensable if your house is above and nearby a river or by a lake. Then you can use it as your primary means of transportation, forgetting about a car and enjoying the sun, the water, and the wind.

“Electrification plus luxury” is a trend gaining momentum on both sides of the Atlantic. The El-Iseo prototype was on display at the Yacht Club de Monaco two years ago. In 2023, Chris-Craft showed its first electrified 8.13m Launch 25 GTe bowrider model. Frauscher and Porsche presented a joint project of a high-speed electric boat, based on the Frauscher 858 Fantom. When a brand has a great history behind it and its list of clients and celebrities could easily turn into a puffy volume, it makes sense to move forward. At a brisk pace of allegro.