Quick links:
The Measure Of
Transport
Marine Transport
Product Design
Design and Manufacturing
Electric Vehicles

The measure of: Arosa electric hovercraft

Open-access content E+T Editorial Team — Thu 15 Jun 2023 — updated 9 Oct 2023
Arosa electric hovercraft (Image credit: Cover Images)

A Maryland-based company has created an electric hovercraft that takes on the look of a sports car.

VonMercier's Arosa hovercraft is powered by a trio of electric engines with the capacity to glide 15-20cm above the ground, making it possible for the vehicle to move across gravel, grass, snow, sand and water.
Its body and hull are moulded from carbon fibre and it has a three-seater open-air cockpit, with an optional teak deck and a ladder for use on water.

Besides being easily chargeable via a standard EV charger, its electric powertrain also reduces noise, pollution and maintenance compared to a petrol version – and it is said to be quieter than a vacuum cleaner.

Cover images

Image credit: Arosa electric hovercraft

VonMercier will produce only 25 models this year but is aiming to double production in 2024. The Arosa has a $200,000 price tag.

Vital statistics: Arosa electric hovercraft

Length: 4.9m

Width: 2.4m

Height: 1.4m

Empty weight: 408-630kg

Hover height: 15-20cm

Payload: 227kg

Passengers: 2-3

Electric power: 178kW

Aerodynamic speed limit: 50mph

Cruise speed: 20mph

Battery voltage: 403V

Battery energy: 18 or 36kWh

Battery max duration: 1.5-3 hours

Battery charge time: 3-6 hours

Approx range: 65-130km

Image credits: Cover Images, Arosa electric hovercraft.

You may also be interested in...

uber app (Image credit: Dreamstime)

Electric ridesharing fleets could worsen local air quality, study finds

Tue 13 Jun 2023

Traffic problems could be exacerbated and air pollution could actually increase due to efforts from ridesharing firms such as Uber to electrify their fleets, researchers have said.
Open-access content
Multi-storey car park with concept designs of electric vehicles (Image credit: Photo 33842652 © Martin Brayley | Dreamstime.com)

UK car parks could ‘collapse’ under the weight of EVs, report warns

Mon 5 Jun 2023

The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) has said UK car parks could collapse under the weight of electric vehicles (EVs) unless weight limits are imposed or the buildings are strengthened.
Open-access content
Electric vehicle charging (Image credit: Foto 139966991 © Suwin Puengsamrong | Dreamstime.com)

Government expected to miss target for installations of rapid EV chargers

Fri 19 May 2023

The government is “unlikely” to meet its target of having six or more rapid or ultra-rapid electric vehicle chargers at every motorway service area in England by the end of 2023, research conducted by the RAC has shown.
Open-access content
uk railway station (Image credit: Dreamstime)

AR app to help blind passengers navigate stations receives share of £2m funding

Tue 6 Jun 2023

An augmented-reality app for visually impaired passengers to help them navigate stations is among a raft of transport technology projects being backed by government funding.
Open-access content
driverless car driving (Image credit: Dreamstime)

Drivers should be taxed per mile starting with EVs, think tank says

Wed 24 May 2023

Drivers should be made to pay road taxes based upon the number of miles that they drive, a report from the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) has said.
Open-access content
Bosch autonomous concept car, driving hands-free

Self-driving cars will cause ‘moral panic’, says transport minister

Wed 17 May 2023

A “moral panic” will be caused by the use of self-driving vehicles on public roads, a transport minister has warned.
Open-access content
Panorama of the Claddagh in Galway city, Ireland. (Image credit: Dreamstime)

Collaboration at core of automotive innovation in West of Ireland

Thu 1 Jun 2023

The country may be small, but Ireland is showing huge potential in the automotive research and development (R&D) space, particularly in its western regions where collaborative initiatives thrive.
Open-access content
PM Modi At Train Crash Site Hero (Image credit: Government of India)

View from India: Triple train collision the worst in several decades

Thu 8 Jun 2023

The triple train collision in the Balasore district of Odisha in eastern India has turned out to be one of India's deadliest railway crashes.
Open-access content

More from Design and Manufacturing

Smart factory worker controlling production process - Credit: Shutterstock - 1489032815

5 Minutes....Gigafactories

Tue 7 May 2024
Decarbonisation depends on electric vehicles – and on the huge plants that churn out lithium-ion batteries.
Members'-only content
UK aircraft orders hit record high but deliveries continue to lag - latest figures - Credit: Shutterstock

UK aircraft orders hit record high but deliveries continue to lag – latest figures

Mon 29 Apr 2024
Latest figures  by ADS Group reveal that while commercial aircraft orders for Q1 2024 are up from 2023 figures, production challenges are continuing to cause a lag in deliveries.
Open-access content
steel manufacturing rolling - Credit: iStock

British Steel wins contract to provide materials for Egypt’s Green Line

Wed 3 Apr 2024
The firm will supply around 9,500 tonnes of rail track for Egypt’s Green Line, which will be produced in Scunthorpe.
Open-access content
plastic production and manufacturing - Credit: iStock

Europe’s plastic makers struggle to keep pace with China and meet recycling targets

Wed 20 Mar 2024
Europe’s plastic manufacturers are steadily losing market share to China and are struggling to meet environment and climate targets, a study has found.
Open-access content

More from Electric Vehicles

Copper cannot be mined quickly enough to keep up with current policies requiring the transition to electric vehicles - Credit: Shutterstock

The amount of copper needed to build EVs is ‘impossible for mining companies to produce’

Thu 16 May 2024
Copper cannot be mined quickly enough to keep up with current policies requiring the transition to electric vehicles, according to a University of Michigan study.
Open-access content
Smart factory worker controlling production process - Credit: Shutterstock - 1489032815

5 Minutes....Gigafactories

Tue 7 May 2024
Decarbonisation depends on electric vehicles – and on the huge plants that churn out lithium-ion batteries.
Members'-only content
New partnership aims to give a second life to used EV batteries in the Nissan LEAF - Credit: iStock

Partnership to recover used Nissan LEAF lithium batteries to give them a second life

Wed 1 May 2024
A new partnership between Nissan and Ecobat Solutions UK will investigate how to recover, repair and repurpose used electric vehicle (EV) batteries from UK salvage operators for second life applications.
Open-access content
mazda mx-30 red iceland - Credit: Supplied

Mazda's SUV is at home with the range

Fri 19 Apr 2024
The EV revolution is being hampered by one main concern – range anxiety. How is Mazda allaying fears?
Members'-only content

More from Marine Transport

baltimore bridge collapse - Credit: Getty - 2107856307

Could the Baltimore Bridge collapse have been avoided?

Thu 16 May 2024
The waterway design features that prevent collisions in heavy shipping areas
Members'-only content
No description provided - Uncredited

Underwater drone discovers and explores 100-year-old shipwreck

Wed 3 Apr 2024
An underwater drone known as Hydrus has been used to explore a shipwreck that has been at the bottom of the Indian Ocean for over 100 years.
Open-access content
Submarine - Credit: iStock

MoD approves £4bn in contracts to build UK’s next-gen submarines

Mon 2 Oct 2023
The Ministry of Defence has approved the design and manufacture of the largest and most powerful attack submarines the Royal Navy has ever operated.
Open-access content
London eye - Uncredited

Uber launches new hybrid ferries along the Thames to cut emissions

Tue 12 Sep 2023
The first of three battery-powered high-speed ferries has started carrying passengers through central London.
Open-access content

More from Product Design

Simpson and Partners EV chargers (Image credit: Simpson & Partners)

Q&A with Simpson & Partners on the future of EV charging

Fri 30 Jun 2023

How will we charge our electric vehicles? At home or at work? At the filling station or at the supermarket? DC or AC? And what colour would you like? We ask two experts on chargers.
Open-access content
SLANT E Trailer Attached To Bicycle Hero (Image credit: University of Bristol)

New electric ‘Slant’ on getting the shopping home given funding boost

Thu 11 May 2023

Entrepreneurs have won a £10,000 funding prize to develop their tap-to-rent electric trailer, which could change the way people travel and shop. The ‘weightless’ trailer clips on to a bicycle or e-scooter or can be pulled by pedestrians.
Open-access content
Sustainable Car Interior Materials Hero (Image credit: Callum Designs)

UK design firm presents sustainable car interior made of recycled foodstuffs

Mon 30 Jan 2023

Coffee, eggs, walnuts, rice and lentils could be just as likely found in your future car’s interior as your shopping basket, according to a new study by design and engineering consultancy Callum.
Open-access content
Czinger 21C hypercar (Image credit: Cover Images)

The bigger picture: Czinger 21C hypercar

Sat 8 Oct 2022

Los Angeles carmaker Czinger’s 21C ‘hypercar’ is set to hit roads late next year.
Open-access content

More from The Measure Of

eSprinter Van (Image credit: Mercedes Benz AG Cover Images)

The measure of: Mercedes-Benz’s eSprinter van

Thu 16 Mar 2023

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the second-generation of its all-electric eSprinter panel vehicle, with the large van boasting two lengths, three battery sizes and plenty of flexibility for conversions.
Open-access content
Icon of the Seas (Image credit: Cover Images)

The measure of: Icon of the Seas cruise ship

Fri 10 Feb 2023

Cruise line Royal Caribbean International has unveiled the design and main features of the latest class of ship being added to its fleet – and it’s the largest one yet.
Open-access content
The Measure Of De Tomaso P900 Hypercar (Image credit: Cover Images)

The measure of: De Tomaso P900 hypercar

Wed 18 Jan 2023

An Italian car manufacturing company has unveiled the ‘world’s first’ carbon-neutral synthetic-fuel-driven hypercar.
Open-access content
The LSST Camera (Image credit: Cover Images)

The measure of: the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera

Wed 7 Dec 2022

Say hello to the world’s largest digital camera, the LSST Camera, which is roughly the size of a small car and has as many pixels as the equivalent of 266 iPhone 13s.
Open-access content

More from Transport

Uber faces £250m lawsuit from London’s black-cab drivers for ‘unlawful operations’ - Credit: Shutterstock

Uber faces £250m lawsuit from London’s black-cab drivers for ‘unlawful operations’

Thu 2 May 2024
More than 10,500 London black-cab drivers have launched a £250m lawsuit against ride-hailing app Uber for alleged unlawful operations in the capital from May 2012 until March 2018.
Open-access content
Flood Damage in Italy's Northern Emilia-Romagna Region - Credit: Getty - 1258372300

Climate change means we adapt or die

Wed 17 Apr 2024
As the climate changes, society will have to keep up. What adaptations will we need to make, and what progress has been made already?
Open-access content
Tesla slashes the cost of its self-driving technology but the feature requires the driver's hands to be on the wheel at all times. - Credit: Shutterstock

Tesla halves the cost of its autonomous driving tech in a bid to boost uptake

Mon 15 Apr 2024
Tesla has slashed the price of its self-driving technology to just $99 per month, down from $199, but the tech still requires a fully attentive driver behind the wheel.
Open-access content
An additional 955 electric buses will soon take to our roads, thanks to new government funding. - Credit: iStock/Peter Carruthers

UK government invests a further £143m to roll out almost a thousand new electric buses

Fri 22 Mar 2024
Rural areas will be prioritised to receive new electric buses as part of a funding scheme that aims to introduce the zero-emission vehicles across the country.
Open-access content

More from Volume 18, Issue 6 - July 2023

A machine being prepared for production of semiconductor wafer products at IQE’s headquarters in Cardiff (Image credit: Getty Images)

UK’s National Semiconductor Strategy - a plan begins to form

Thu 22 Jun 2023

The UK’s National Semiconductor Strategy sees intervention in the chip sector return to Britain after four decades, but is it too little, too late?
Open-access content
Debugger (Image credit: Debugger)

Bizarre Tech: Debugger AI drone, Oenklen Ozone mouthwash and Nagualep Kitchen Composter

Wed 21 Jun 2023

Good day, dear readers! I’ve had a look at some home help this month, to aid you in your daily life. A couple of these are actually pretty cool. Let me know what you think!
Open-access content
Fiona McGarry (Image credit: Rachel Knowles)

Back Story: Fiona McGarry, ‘Diversity gives rise to better solutions’

Fri 16 Jun 2023

TV presenter Shini Somara talks to Fiona McGarry, engagement manager at Make UK, who is responsible for attracting more young people into STEM and engineering careers.
Open-access content
Eccentric Engineer (Image credit: Getty Images)

The eccentric engineer: The darkest days in Rjukan

Fri 16 Jun 2023

This is the story of Norwegian engineer Sam Eyde, whose discovery of a waterfall led to the creation of a town with a place in the history books.
Open-access content

More from E+T Editorial Team

London double decker red bus - Credit: Shutterstock

£100m plan to electrify London’s buses announced

Tue 9 Apr 2024
The UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) and investors have formed a £100m fund to electrify hundreds of London’s buses.
Open-access content
The 3.32- gigapixel camera at the Rubin Observatory - Credit: Jacqueline Ramsayer Orrell:SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

World’s largest digital camera ready to uncover the universe’s secrets

Thu 4 Apr 2024
After 20 years, researchers have finally completed work on the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Camera – one of the most advanced tools yet to search for life outside of the Solar System.
Open-access content
No description provided - Uncredited

Underwater drone discovers and explores 100-year-old shipwreck

Wed 3 Apr 2024
An underwater drone known as Hydrus has been used to explore a shipwreck that has been at the bottom of the Indian Ocean for over 100 years.
Open-access content
diabetes artificial pancreas - Credit: Shutterstock

NHS confirms plans to roll out ‘artificial pancreases’ to diabetes sufferers

Tue 2 Apr 2024
The NHS has confirmed plans to roll out “artificial pancreases” to patients living with type 1 diabetes across England.
Open-access content