Electric Inside Boats pushes electric boating from the sun and tradition

The peace of the waves' sway, the sunlight reflected on the sea, the silence interrupted only by the sound of water caressing the boat... Until the engine starts. Then, the noise and smoke break that calm and interrupt conversations while polluting the water and air in their wake. "When you go by motor, it rattles a lot and makes a lot of noise, and that is contradictory to the pleasure of sailing"; instead, "sailing in silence is another experience; you only hear the water," highlights Sergi Rosés, co-founder and CEO of Electric Inside Boats.

From the blue economy hub of Port Olímpic, the company specializes in boats propelled solely by solar energy, in an initiative that pursues sustainability, but goes further, extending its footprint to the preservation of tradition and the re-boosting of trades and economic activities linked to the sea that might have been struggling before. The company does not aim to electrify just any type of boat, but has specialized in the traditional boat of our coastline par excellence: the laúd.

"The laúd is so much from here that it is the image of souvenirs, paintings, and photos. It is part of our culture and identity." With origins dating back to the Phoenicians, the laúd "is a symbol and a traditional element," which Electric Inside Boats has set its sights on. It all started when three childhood friends, lovers of the sea and nautical activities, decided to explore how to move towards more sustainable boats. "We had an old laúd and wanted to make this change, and that's how we started." It was in 2018 when they electrified the first laúd, and took it for a ride along the Basque coast, at a traditional boat festival: "We opened it up for everyone to try, and it was very successful."

"Sustainability and the blue economy go hand in hand," highlights the director of Port Olímpic

From that moment on, the objective was clear: refloat the laúd, through more sustainable options. For two reasons, "both for cultural reasons and because, due to its characteristics, it is a type of boat where electric power fits very well." The laúd does not usually seek high speeds, but rather invites you to enjoy sailing at more leisurely paces —slow sailing, as Rosés says.

"You go at the same speed, the boat has the same strength and behaves in a very similar way. It's a stretch where electric is perfect." And one more reason: many of these boats are old, with "an engine hanging by a thread," and that's where Electric Inside Boats comes in to renovate them and convert them into electric. In fact, on the Catalan coast there are about 5,000 llaüts, and 20% have a "delicate" engine.

Thus, the company divides its activity between the conversion of motor boats to solar energy, and the construction of new boats. It is in this activity that the re-impulse of an economic sector, once basic in Catalonia and other territories such as the Balearic Islands, and now on the verge of disappearing, takes center stage: that of shipyards. To start its activity, Inside Electric Boats contacted Joan Pascual, who runs a century-old shipyard in Torroella de Montgrí, from which even a boat for Gala and Dalí emerged, and from which the company's electric and converted boats now come.

The company combines this activity from the shipyards with the rental of the boats and their maintenance. And it is that nautical electric mobility is an "absolutely incipient" sector, which Electric Inside Boats is pushing to advance. Since it started, the company has converted about 50 llaüts, and in the last year it has sold five new boats, with figures that are increasing every year. For this 2026, they propose to reach about 15 projects.

This activity translated into a turnover of more than 250,000 euros in 2025, although "turnover is not what guides us, but the trend," which is positive and increases every year. The company, built with the partners' own funds, offers new boats for 10 people for between 60,000 and 90,000 euros, and conversions range from 12,000 to 22,000 euros, depending on size and power. "We know that this will grow, and it is growing year after year," defends the co-founder, who asks the administration to make a clear commitment to nautical electric mobility, for example, by placing demonstration boats in its ports.

Port Olímpic as a reference

"We are still in a very informative phase," Rosés emphasizes. And precisely to advance in this informative phase, initiatives such as those of the salon are promotedBarcelona Electric Marine Show 2026, which will celebrate its third edition in Port Olímpic from April 10 to 12. Born within the framework of theAmerica's Cup, the show brings together companies from across the sector's value chain. "From those who manufacture engines or chargers to lawyers who work with insurance for electric boats, including manufacturers and those who convert vessels." This is explained by the director of Port Olímpic,Olga Cerezo,at the helm of an infrastructure that wants to establish itself as a benchmark in this field. In fact, "there is no other show at the state level that focuses in this way on electric boats."

While waiting to incorporate new exhibitors, the event already has more than thirty participating companies. All of them play a role in the path of "nautical sustainability," also from dry land. "We are ten years behind surface mobility in terms of electrification," highlights the port director, managed by the public company Barcelona Serveis Municipals (BSM) since 2020. The show, promoted with the National Association of Electric Boats (ANBE), will include foodtrucks, activities, exhibitions and striking proposals, such as a hydrogen-powered boat and a catamaran manufactured with a 3D printer.

Port Olímpic's commitment to sustainable nautical mobility goes beyond the show, with initiatives such as the commissioning of ultra-fast chargers with solar energy and the commitment to the blue economy with a cluster of companies in the sector in the former nightlife venues that were created with the reform of Port Olímpic. "Sustainability and the blue economy go hand in hand," Cerezo emphasizes. The 50 spaces gained from nightlife are already 75% occupied by companies in the sector, which include everything from boat maintenance companies to academies and innovative proposals, such as Electric Inside Boats. All of this contributes to positioning Barcelona in this field, along with initiatives such as the BlueTechPort of the Port of Barcelona: "We are making progress in making Barcelona a reference city in blue economy and sustainability."