This Israeli Engineer Dreams of Electric Jetskis

Amir Shahar got tired of dealing with his heavy jetski every time he wanted to go to the beach. The jetski's tow trolley needs to be connected to a car, the heavy jetski must be transferred onto it, and the jetski's fuel and engine oil is also a hassle to deal with, Shahar said in a recent interview with Calcalist. So, Shahar decided to go full electric.

An engineer by trade and the owner of central Israel-based electric gate manufacturer Agro Gates and Automatic Barriers Ltd., Shahar partnered
with his father-in-law, also an engineer who retired from the aerospace industry.

An electrical jetski can be kept in the trunk of a car or on a yacht, enabling its owner to ride it at any given time and minimizing the hassle, Shahar said.

Shahar has already built a first prototype for an electric jetski that he designed from the ground up, and is currently working on additional prototypes. The jetski runs on a lithium battery, and can reach a speed of 70 kilometers per hour, Shahar said.

Shahar and his partners have so far invested NIS 2 million (approximately $570,000) into his pursuit to create hassle-free jetskis. He is currently trying to raise an additional $2 million to market and produce the jetskis in the U.S.