Vessev built an electric ferry that almost flies
- ID
- 31451
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 03 Oct 2026, 10:42 PM
- Fetched
- 03 Oct 2026, 11:09 PM
- Provider
- TechCrunch
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/03/vessev-built-an-electric-ferry-that-almost-flies/
- Source URL
- https://techcrunch.com/feed/
Summary
- Score
- 2.5
- Created
- 03 Oct 2026, 11:10 PM
- Tags
- Audience
- startup_founders
What happened
TechCrunch rode Vessev's VS-9 electric ferry from Brooklyn Marina toward Governors Island. The roughly 30-foot hydrofoil catamaran uses two underwater foils with computer-controlled flaps; the front foil handles about 80% of lift and the rear about 20%, and the rear foil houses Vessev's in-house electric motor. The batteries are outsourced because Vessev's CEO calls them commoditized, and the foils can be raised for shallow docks.
Why it matters
This is a transportation/hardware product ride report with no pricing, range, charging, certification, deployment date, or Malaysia/SEA angle in the text, so most developers and SaaS founders have no action to take. Hardware founders may note Vessev's make-vs-buy split: build the electric motor in-house for cost control while treating batteries as a commodity.
Discussion angle
What should hardware founders copy from Vessev's decision to build the electric motor in-house while outsourcing batteries as commoditized?