The Evolution Of The Jet Ski

If you have been busy working towards that billionaire’s superyacht but just lack the billionaire bit, Brooklyn-based Tarform has just the sleek oceangoing ticket for you. While the mega yacht stays pinned to the vision board you could at least get underway with the sort of Jet Ski that a ripped-vested Jeff Bezos would look quite at home on as he whizzes around a Mediterranean cove. As well as being the perfect accessory for any self-respecting, water-loving tech tycoon, The Tarform Raye is a sculptural study in biomorphic design looking like the cross between a globule of liquid mercury and a Manta ray. And all of this avant-garde sculpting isn’t the only feature of intrigue.

Tarfom have cut their teeth over the years on cool electric motorcycles over the last couple of years so a water-going version seems a natural extension if you skip the whole electricity water don’t mix thing. According to Tarfom, the intention is to create a “lightweight watercraft that would provide the feeling of riding an electric motorcycle on the water, combining high performance and superb handling.” And so far the specs would attest to this.

Underneath that sleek biomorphic outer shell is an all-electric water jet propulsion system that offers up options between 70 and 120 hp and one to two hours of battery runtime. In typical electric fashion, the torque and acceleration will be almost instant as the Raye carves its way through the water to a top speed of 80 km/h.

The Raye will also carry over some of the technology from its motorcycle range including a circular digital display, integrated sensors, machine learning, driving metrics, maintenance diagnostics and over-the-air updates.

While production is likely still a couple of years away, pricing looks to be around the US$68,000 range. You will also have the option of recycled carbon fibre or plant-based composite bodywork for those future Billionaires who want to minimize their carbon footprint. Even if it is on water.