Whether it was a schooner crossing the Atlantic or a jet shattering the sound barrier, setting a speed record has long been a way to promote a new product or technology. So, it’s no surprise that as electric marine propulsion advances there has been growing interest in setting a top speed mark for a boat fueled by batteries. What is surprising is that when that record fell in late 2023, it was Princeton Electric Speedboating (PES), a club of Princeton University students, rather than a major manufacturer, that raised the bar.
In October the tiger-striped PES hydroplane howled over Lake which reached a top speed of 42 mph with electric power.
