February the 23rd, 2025 – Electric boats are coming to Croatia, both on inland waterways and along the Adriatic coast.
Croatia’s maritime traffic is enormous. Be that from vessels heading up and down inland waterways like the Drava and the Danube, or out at sea between the countless islands and the mainland. As the country embraces greener, cleaner and more sustainable energy methods, electric boats will grace the waters of Croatia soon.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, after many years of promoting e-mobility on the country’s roads, the Electric Vehicle Drivers Association (Strujni krug) is now expanding its mission to the sea and inland waters. In cooperation with OFT (Odenwälder Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH – an international company with extensive experience in the development of electric vehicles, drive systems and battery technologies), they’re working to expand the network of electric boats in Croatia. This move will pave the way for cleaner, more modern and sustainable maritime transport nationwide.
The aforementioned association has calculated that across Croatia, maritime transport consumes as much as 110 million litres of fuel annually, resulting in emissions of around 290 thousand tonnes of damaging CO₂. By switching to electric boats and renewable energy sources in Croatia, these emissions could be almost completely eliminated, which is equivalent to planting over 11.2 million trees. As the world rapidly transitions to sustainable, greener forms of transport, the association warns that now is the time for the electric boats to come to Croatia. The glorious Croatian Adriatic sea is one of the last untouched natural resources in Europe, and it’s high time it became much cleaner and greener.
Owing to the cooperation between the Strujni krug association and OFT, Croatia is getting the opportunity to electrify its vessels. That means that they’ll be entirely devoid of harmful exhaust gases, noise and fuel ending up being poured down into the sea.
ExploMar electric outboard engines enable an easy transition from classic petrol and diesel engines to environmentally friendly alternatives, making sustainable navigation accessible to a wide range of users. OFT also offers other ecological propulsion solutions, inboard or outboard, regardless of power or capacity. The latter opens up the possibility of adapting to different types of vessels going forward, so that everyone can participate in the transition towards sustainable maritime transport in Croatia.
Currently, the Strujni krug association is actively calling on the tourism sector, vessel owners and charter companies to take a step towards sustainability. Bringing electric boats to Croatia will reduce the country’s ecological footprint, and at the same time improve the quality of service for guests who are increasingly looking for more environmentally friendly options.
