Video: Iconic red Shotover Jet goes green

Queenstown’s red Shotover Jet is going green, with the unveiling of a world-first electric jet boat designed for tourism.

The prototype is one part of a plan to steer Ngāi Tahu Tourism towards becoming carbon-neutral by 2050.

Shotover Jet, set in a river canyon in the deep South, is one of New Zealand’s most iconic visitor experiences, which (pre-pandemic) hosted more than 180,000 visitors annually.

The move away from fossil fuels will mean at least half of Ngāi Tahu Tourism’s jetboat fleet will be electric by 2030, its general manager Jolanda Cave says.

“As demand for our popular jet boats grow and international tourists return to Queenstown, we’re looking forward to showcasing our iwi values of guardianship and leadership. Through these steps and more we can keep our environment pristine and beautiful for future generations.”

Visitors may see the near silent electric jet boat in test runs on the Shotover River during their next visit to Shotover Jet, testing expected to take several years to confirm the commercialisation of the electric prototype.

“At Ngāi Tahu Tourism we don’t want to shy away from the challenges which climate change presents, though these may seem daunting,” Cave says.

“We acknowledge we have a long road ahead of us but through innovation and collaboration, we believe things can be more promising for future generations.”

The electric jetboat prototype is one of 88 initiatives announced by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu as part of its Te Kounga Paparangi plan, which will see the iwi cut greenhouse gas emissions, embrace renewable energy, optimise resource use, reduce water and ecosystem impacts, and create a resilient future for Ngāi Tahu whānau.

The prototype project began in 2019 when Ngāi Tahu Tourism entered a co-funding agreement with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) under the ‘Technology Demonstration Programme’ and was awarded up to $200,000 to convert one of its petrol-powered jet boats to run on electricity.

The four main components that form the electrical functionality are the battery packs, battery management system, power delivery, and electric motors.

Gasoline has an energy density of about 12,000Wh/kg, which is 100 times the energy density of lithium based batteries which can store 100-265Wh/kg.

Many of the components are common to petrol and electric boats, for example water jet units.

Initial water testing of the prototype electric jet boat was held on Lake Whakatipu in May 2022, followed by tests on the Shotover River in June 2022.