Swiss Repower takes care of the electric water taxi from A to Z

Take Repower, regardless of whether you know what the company does, and ask it to manage the full ecosystem of an electric – powered vessel. By “ecosystem,” we mean the systemic approach to electrifying a boat, including the installation of charging infrastructure (in other words, a dockside charging station), ideally powered—at least in part—by solar panels mounted on the canopy above. And if that’s not ambitious enough, go ahead and demand continuous, uninterrupted power delivery.

Repower’s full electric lagoon taxi is called Lucietta

Repower is a Swiss company originally focused on the supply of electricity and gas, which has since developed a dedicated division for electric mobility, ranging from bicycles and cycle tourism to broader e-mobility solutions, including electric boats. The company also provides photovoltaic systems and energy diagnostics. That, as you may have guessed, is the reason behind Repower’s participation in the Venice Boat Show. Her name is Lucietta—a world premiere—and she proudly claims the title of the first BEV Venetian water taxi. The project was led by the Swiss group in collaboration with Nauta Yachts, responsible for the design, and Cantiere Serenella of Murano, known for their artisanal craftsmanship.

Lucietta was designed and built following direct input from a selected group of Venetian taxi operators, surveyed during the development phase. The vessel follows in the wake of Repowere, Repower’s second electric boat, which received an Honorable Mention at the 2020 Compasso d’Oro awards. As for materials, Lucietta features a carbon fiber hull and repurposed Murano glass. The recycled glass elements come courtesy of Rehub, a Murano-based startup and winner of the 2023 Repower Special Innovation Award, which has developed a method for reusing glass from local furnaces in marine applications.

Lucietta in a nutshell

The boat measures 9.30 meters in length, 2.25 meters in width, and 2.10 meters in height—dimensions that allow Lucietta to navigate easily through the intricate network of Venetian canals. Certified to carry up to 14 passengers, Lucietta was designed with the unique needs of the delicate urban and lagoon environment in mind. She eliminates the acoustic impact and vibration typically generated by internal combustion engines, while also preventing emissions of fumes and oily residue. From a technical perspective, Lucietta is equipped with a 200-kW battery-electric propulsion system powered by a 180 kWh battery pack. This enables the vessel to reach a top speed of 30 knots. More importantly, when operating within the speed limits enforced in the Venetian lagoon (7–20 km/h), she is capable of completing a full day of service on a single charge.

A word from the creators of the BEV taxi for Venice (and beyond)

“Electric boating represents a key component of the broader revolution that has been transforming the mobility and sustainable tourism sectors for years now,” said Fabio Bocchiola, CEO of Repower Italia. “This transformation is progressing at varying speeds, partly influenced by a changing geopolitical landscape that has led many countries to adopt new policies and rethink their overall strategies for energy transition. That said,” Bocchiola continued, “as outlined in our White Paper on sustainable mobility, the European Union has defined an ambitious roadmap to reduce emissions in the maritime sector. According to our report, the global electric boating market is expected to reach a value of approximately $13 billion by 2030. In this context, I’m proud to say that Repower has been a pioneer in the field of urban electric navigation. I would also like to thank our partners, Nauta Yachts and Cantiere Serenella, for their valuable contributions to the development of this new project that we are unveiling at the Venice Boat Show.”

“Back in 2018,” added Marcello Bertoldi, Repower’s nautical partner and CEO of Bertoldi Boats, “we chose the Venice Boat Show for Sustainability to present Repowere, Repower’s second fully electric vessel, designed for both inland and offshore waters. That experience laid the groundwork for the Lucietta project—a boat that opens a new chapter in the story of the Venetian water taxi. It balances heritage and sustainable innovation. Lucietta is not only a fine example of local craftsmanship; it also contributes meaningfully to the conversation around public transportation in the Venetian Lagoon. It’s a viable solution that integrates with existing fast-charging infrastructure and delivers range and performance on par with today’s internal combustion-powered vessels”.

“The size of a Venetian water taxi is determined by the city itself—its canals, bridges, and docking points. This imposes very specific constraints on construction height, beam, and overall length,” explained Massimo Gino of Nauta Yachts. “Starting from detailed studies of original vintage water taxi designs, along with direct input from taxi operators, we identified the essential upgrades needed to design the electric taxi for the new millennium. Repower’s Lucietta is a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional Venetian taxi, blending classic design with stylistic cues that reflect the appeal of electric mobility—instantly signaling its sustainable nature.”