Riva has revealed more details of its 8.4-metre El-Iseo, the brand’s first full-electric powerboat. The sleek Riva El-Iseo is based on the Riva Iseo, and uses an electric motor.

The Italian boatbuilder, a brand of Ferretti Group, launched the first El-Iseo prototype at Ferretti Group’s Private Preview in Monaco 2022. The prototype has now undergone various tests, including participation in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge with the YCM E-Dock and the YCM E-Boat Rally, the nautical endurance event reserved for electric models.

“Riva’s great strength, right from the outset, has been its ability to rise to and win the design challenges faced over the years, by combining its craftsmanship and know-how with new technologies,” says Ferretti Group CEO Alberto Galassi. “Riva El-Iseo isn’t only the world’s most beautiful full-electric powerboat, but also proof that investing in research and development opens up new paths to sustainability and environmental awareness.”

The new Riva El-Iseo was penned by Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta, founders of Officina Italiana Design, working in partnership with the Strategic Product Committee led by Piero Ferrari and the Ferretti Group Engineering Department.


Galassi adds: “Riva El-Iseo is also the first model in its segment to obtain Rina Category B certification, a further endorsement that Riva is at the forefront of yachting safety too.”

The 8.4-metre Riva El-Iseo has a maximum beam of 2.5 metres and a sleek hull design inherited from the Iseo model. On board, Riva’s stylistic details extend to the polished mahogany of the deck and stern platform, the stainless steel detailing of the lateral grills and the refined sky fabric cushions.

The deck, cockpit and helm station feature a completely new design, while the colour of the first hull is a novel one for Riva, a California Sky Blue that marries with the aquamarine “beauty line” featured on all boats in the Riva range.

The El-Iseo is the first full electric powerboat to obtain RINA B Category certification (boats designed for wind force up to and including 8 and significant wave height of 4 metres and above), which is rarely granted to open type boats on account of both their size and configuration.

Riva El-Iseo retains the traditional stern-drive propulsion system and has a Parker GVM310 full-electric engine from Parker Hannifin, a motion and control technology multinational based in the US. With a power output of 250 kW, peaking at 300 kW, the Parker GVM310 delivers a cruising speed of 25 knots and a self-limited top speed of 40 knots. The vessel’s acceleration curve is significantly steeper than that of a similarly sized boat powered by an internal combustion engine.

For stabilisation underway, El-Iseo has auto-trim control for the stern-drive engine and a Zipwake interceptor for trim correction.