Alongside the Aquarama, the Ariston is one of the iconic, varnished mahogany boats from the Riva brand, the “Rolls Royce of the seas”, coveted by the wealthy and the movie stars of the 1960s, from Aristotle Onassis to Sophia Loren…
In a sign of the times, one of these legendary boats has been retrofitted by the Monegasque start-up Lanéva Boats. The bluetech company, which is hosted by the MonacoTech incubator, presented a special preview of its electric 1961 Riva® Ariston at the Monaco Yacht Show 2022.
The vintage boat is now equipped with the retrofit kit produced by the young Monegasque start-up, which includes a 150-kW electric engine (replacing the original 177 horsepower V8 engine) and a Li-Ion battery. The transformation allows the boat to maintain a speed of 30 knots, while saving 6 tonnes of CO2 per year.
The start-up also designs new, 100% electric boats. The prototype was officially unveiled by Prince Albert II in 2019.
The engine technology is inspired by aviation. The battery cells are similar to those used in Bertrand Piccard’s solar plane
notes CEO François Richard, emphasising the reliability and robustness of the system, which offers performance that can match that of combustion-engine models.
Thanks to the flax and volcanic rock fibres used for its decks, cork oak bark flooring and upholstery made from recycled materials, Lanéva Boats has been awarded the “1,000 Solutions to Change the World” certification, created by explorer Bertrand Piccard and aimed at promoting innovations that are both profitable and good for the environment. As a National Energy Transition Pact ambassador, the company is also a “spokesperson” for messages from the Mission for Energy Transition.
Incidentally, the name Lanéva Boats has its roots in the nineteenth century: it was on the Neva River, in St Petersburg, that German engineer Moritz von Jacobi launched the world’s first electric boat, watched by Tsar Nicholas I, in 1838.
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