The blue waters of Lake Como and a splendid historic villa, Villa D’Este, became for a weekend the meeting point for the future of electric mobility. The first edition of the Electric Yachting event was able to involve professionals and insiders, and to immerse us in a prestigious location, without letting us forget why we were there: to contribute, with everyone’s work, to an increasingly environmentally friendly tourism.
This was a unique event that allowed us to get in touch with some of the major Italian shipyards, and to sit around a table to exchange opinions, beliefs and concerns about what the future of sustainable mobility and electric navigation will hold. Amongst the many participants were Luca Levrini, President of the Alessandro Volta Foundation, Francesco Braghin of EIT Urban Mobility at the Milan Polytechnic University, and Marco Casiraghi of the Montecarlo Solar & Energy Challenge.
The feeling was that we were not in competition, but part of the same team. A large network of professionals working on something important: everyone’s future.
As our CEO Alberto Pozzo said:
The feeling was that we were part of something big. We were not competitors – the market is vast, made up of very specific niches, and each company has its own method, its own technology, its own target customers – we were, instead, professionals who looked each other in the eye and instantaneously understood each other. It was essential for us to get out of the realities of our shipyards, to be able to discuss the challenges that are common to large and small companies alike: design, usability, navigation speed and battery life. We are confident in our products, and it was exciting to see that the reliability of our technology was also appreciated by the big brands in the sector and by the visitors who took the helm of the Dogado 1600 E. I’m sure of it: by joining forces, by working together, we can take electric navigation further than ever before.
Dogado 1600 E – Our Signature
Designed for the Venice lagoon, Dogado 1600 E proudly paraded alongside the other boats, impressing the many visitors who took the helm of our tribute to the great Venetian naval tradition. It is 100% Made in Italy in terms of design, materials and technology too. In fact, the electric motor is by GardaSolar. And our journey through Electric Yachting wasn’t over yet: we were thrilled to pay homage to the Tempio Voltiano, a splendid building/museum dedicated to one of the pioneers of electricity, Alessandro Volta. We are dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, said Bernard of Chartres, but we too can become giants by putting our expertise and passion at the service of collective wellbeing.
The meeting with Daniele Riva, heir to the Ernesto Riva Shipyard, was another moment that involved and excited all of us, allowing us to compare ourselves with over 250 years of history of the best Made in Italy, and to admire the latest creation launched by the shipyard: “E-Next Villa d’Este”, an amazing tribute to the runabouts of the 60s, elegant and slender, the result of a design by Studio Frers.
We would like to sincerely thank the creator and the organisers of the event: Marco Makaus, Isabella Brusco and Valentina Cagnola, who accompanied us in this prestigious occasion. We are happy to have been amongst the pioneers of this event. We look forward to the next edition!
For me, Ernesto Riva, GardaSolar and Ganz will always be “founding members” of the event!
Marco Makaus, Project Manager of Villa d’Este Style
