Our great vision
Why this boat? It's quite simple. Less poverty & CO2 in atmosphere. And your freedom to go anywhere.
Freepower Solar Boat is first launched to the Scandinavian market. But to make real impact in reducing CO2 and poverty, our vision is to develop a version of Freepower that suits those who use the boat everyday for livelihood. It will be financed through micro-loans, so that instead of buying fossil fuel every day, the loan is repaid thru an app.
The result is more money to boat owner and less CO2 in atmosphere! One step closer to fight poverty and save our planet.
Local fishermen in Beruwala Fishing Harbor, Sri Lanka next to their smaller fishing boats.
Our problem today
Global warming
Small scale fishing stand for 350 million ton CO2/yr
Leisure boats in Skandinavia stand for 450 000 ton CO2/yr.
Poverty
Fuel price is a big problem for poor people living in the Base of the Pyramide
Marine life is dying
Local marine life is threatened by toxic emissions
Coral reef bleach and die due to rising water temperature.
Freepower® provides a solution
Freepower® solar boat is 100 % self sufficient on power from the sun. This will contribute to achieve:
Global warming reduces
By reduction of greenhouse gases
Poverty decreases
Saves money for the boat owner
Marine life environment improves
Saves the marine life from toxic emissions
Target market
Fishermen, traders and others offering local transport on water living in the Base of the Pyramid (BoP)
Market Validation
Goals
7 of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030
Target market
Fishermen, traders and others offering local transport on water living in the Base of the Pyramid (BoP)
Emerging markets
The market is huge and they use their boats every day mostly for livelihood. This mean the environmental and economic impact affect most. As a bonus they will get electrical power to charge electronics e.g. phones and lights.
Fishing
Poor fishermen who own his boat today but spend a third of his money on fuel. He provides for his family by fishing. The community he belongs to is dependent on good catches, so many surrounding people rely on his effort to get fish. Fishermen are fishing 6 days a week, so his carbon footprint is huge. The fuel in many emerging countries are imported and have created a large carbon footprint long before it becomes refined and used as fuel in boats. Imported oil have high and unpredictable price which makes it hard for fishermen to budget.
A common problem is that the catches vary a lot from one trip to another. This mean they often go out for fishing but get no fish, but they still have to pay for fuel. With the solar boat they can return without fish but don’t need to pay for fuel!
Trading
A person who use the waterway to sell and trade goods in cities or villages but think it is difficult to fuel up as she need to carry heavy fuel cans every day. The noise is disturbing as he/she has problems to communicate with her customers in shore. When the motor breaks down or need service, he/she is dependent on other to get it fixed.
A solar boat will solve all those problems and he/she will also have lights to light up the boat so he/she can sell during night.
Transport
Cities or villages who offer transport of goods or people in local river or canals and who wants to protect the environment and save money. Self-independent people who wants to start a water taxi but thinks it is too expensive and sometimes hard to get fuel due to availability. Transporters of goods in protected water who's prohibited from petrol engines use by environmental laws.
Target market
Fishermen, traders and others offering local transport on water living in the Base of the Pyramid (BoP)
Marketing plan
Local dealers
Sustainable market via inclusive local business
Micro loans
Financed to buyer via micro loans
Prepaid trips per meter
Small recurring payments
Battery recycling program
Long term customer connection