Arkhaus, the team behind building a sustainable Soho House on water, is now taking on a bold venture to combat Miami's congestion.
The new project, codenamed E-lixr, will naturally be on the water in the form of an electric water taxi service, as Electrek detailed.
Miami is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., with its warm weather and beaches fueling that growth. With more people, though, comes a longer, noisier average commute coming in at just under an hour, per Electrek.
That's where the team at Arkhaus sees the opportunity to provide a transit alternative to gridlock and honking horns on the roads. Company founders Sam Payrovi and Nathalie Paiva are teaming up with Aaron Leatherwood, a retired U.S. Coast Guard commander, to launch the E-lixr service.
The company said in a statement that "an increase in environmental awareness, urban congestion, and technological advancements have converged to create the ideal conditions for alternative transport solutions." Similar to their concept of the first social club on a boat, Arkhaus is being creative while making a point of using quiet, carbon pollution-free vessels.
That emphasis makes sense given the dire consequences of relying on gas-powered vehicles that release carbon pollution that warms the planet. That dirty energy raises the frequency of extreme weather events that are linked to overheating oceans.
Electric boats are an area of major innovation, with new electric hydrofoil boats, wake boats, and passenger ferries garnering headlines.
Lower fuel and maintenance costs are also key selling points, as motorists who have switched to an electric car will know.
It's worth noting that in its initial "pre-lectric" service phase in Biscayne Bay, the company isn't using electric boats. It insists the entire fleet will consist of bespoke, zero-pollution vessels by 2025 that will handle a robust route, with booking available online.
"Our vision is clear: to decarbonize and modernize urban transportation through a dual service approach that caters to both private luxury and public convenience," said Payrovi.
Commenters on Electrek had a mixed response to the company's unveiling.
"Electric boats are a really good solution for often used transport as it will be city buses or electric boats," one wrote.
Another was more skeptical, asserting it was a "nice concept for nautical electric," but that the "answer to congestion is and has always been public transit." They called electric boats "wasteful and slow" in comparison.
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