A huge market waiting for us
Norway can offer fantastic experiences in boats with their 100,000 km long coastline and vibrant and rich coastal culture. Not to mention all the lakes and rivers! Did you know that soon the number of leisure boats in Norway will be 1 million boats? No other country in the world has that many leisure boats in relation to population as Norway, according to the Boating Survey 2018.
Freepower will meet this market with a boat designed for Scandinavian conditions that suits well in the archipelago, in environment protected areas and isolated regions.
The same study shows that:
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The total value of the leisure boat fleet in Norway is NOK 73 billion.
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6 out of 10 people in Norway went on one or more boat trips in 2017.
Both Boating Survey 2012 and 2018 also shows that Norway has had an increase in the number of leisure boats on approximately 34,000 per year in the period between these two reports. In addition, the latest report from Norboat shows that sales of smaller leisure boats have increased by 30% since the Corona pandemic began.
We can therefore expect new sales of leisure boats in 2021 to end up close to over 40,000 boats.
The global boat market had a value of NOK 360 billion in 2019 but is estimated to grow to over NOK 520 billion by 2026 according to Global Market Insights.
The future is electric
If you look at this together with the fact that Norway has committed to reduse CO2 emissions by 50% in the transport sector by 2030, it is quite clear to us that future transports at sea will be electric.
Our target groups
Freepower is designed for Scandinavian conditions. It suits well in environment protected and isolated regions. People with an active lifestyle who care and use the nature for recruitment or livelihood will easily identify themselves with the boat.
Based on insights and our own experiences, we have a hypothesis that the following target groups will be interested in Freepower electric boat, and are therefore the ones we have focused on when designing the boat's design and functionality.
Leisure
Uses the boat for recreational reasons or for transport of friends and family. User is typically are well known in local archipelago and weather conditions. He/she like the sound of water splash to hull and to cruise in moderate speed. He/she likes to have a chat and a “fika” during the tour. He/she think the ride is a part of the goal with the tour. He/she think it is inconvenient to fuel up the boat with gasoline cans and want to be free to go whenever he/she wants. He/she are well aware of climate change and want to make a conscious choice. He/she have or are thinking of get an electric car or solar panels on the house.
Sport fishing
He/she has a cottage by a lake far out in remote areas. He/she lives in city with a hectic urban lifestyle but like to go to the cottage during weekends for recruitment. He/she likes to be “one” with nature so it´s important with silence. He/she likes to go fishing in lake and likes to cook and eat their catch. The lake is environmental protected, so they only have a rowing boat. But with an electric boat there is possible to go more far out in lake and also charge phone and other electrical equipment in cottage. He/she wants to be a good role model of an environmentally friendly lifestyle.
Rental
Urban people who live in city but like to spend time in nature, so vacations are spent on round trip in Scandinavia, by car, where they rent a cottage and go for daily activities. They have no boat or marina close to home. They like to explore and are curious about the nature and surrounding culture. Likes to get out on a boat trip but has limited experience so boat must be easy handled and feel sturdy and safe.
Taxi
Taxi boat owner who run a taxiservice in a city or in marina thinks it is expensive and difficult to fuel up gasoline as there are no gas station close to where the passengers want to go. Passengers also complain over smelly exhaust gases and high noice level. Freepower can be equipped with double battery and an over night charger that make it last all day and save money for boat owner.