Three engineers, a shared belief: boating can be reinvented through electric propulsion. Here is the story of Weenav, its values and its activities.
Who are we at Weenav?
We are three engineers specialised in smart electric vehicles, driven by a common belief: the maritime sector, still marked by noisy, polluting and energy-consuming engines, needed a cutting-edge alternative.
It was at the end of 2021 that we decided to put our expertise to the service of a sector still largely on the fringes of discussions about decarbonisation, even though boating is responsible for 3% of global emissions on its own. Our goal: to green existing fleets and offer a credible alternative to thermal propulsion, which is both quieter, cleaner and just as efficient.
Anthony Tartare, founder and CEO, oversees the administrative and technical aspects of the company. Kevin Capendu, founder and sales manager, supports our clients in their transition to clean propulsion, drawing on his dual technical and commercial expertise. Antoine Bouchez, founder and operations manager, also leads the technical aspects of the company.
How was our first electric motor born?
It is this project that gave birth to Weenav in April 2022, a name that can be read as "we navigate electrically". Like many beautiful entrepreneurial stories, ours began in a garage in Hauts-de-France.
On 27 December 2022, we conducted our first real-world tests in the English Channel. Our test boat, a 1992 FourWinns 195 Sundowner originally equipped with a 175 horsepower petrol engine, was fully converted to 100% electric propulsion, with a 100 horsepower (73 kW) motor and 54 kWh of batteries. It then sailed throughout the summer season in the Mediterranean, validating our real-world approach.
The year 2023 marked a turning point: participation in CES Las Vegas, fundraising, presence at several trade shows. These steps allowed us to position ourselves as pioneers in Europe in the 100% electric high-power propulsion for boats. In 2025, we launched our two flagship ranges: the KRONOS outboard motor and the ARION inboard motor. In 2026, we will take a new step with our move to larger premises, designed to support the industrialisation of our motors and sustain our scaling up.
What are the key stages in the development of our KRONOS motor?
What do we concretely offer today?
Since then, our catalogue has been structured around these two ranges of electric motors compatible with series hybrid : the KRONOS, our outboard designed for the fastest and most demanding uses, and the ARION, our inboard engine, robust and discreet, which installs directly in the boat's bilge. These two ranges cater to all types of projects, whether equipping a new boat or giving new life to an existing vessel through electric retrofitting.
Retrofitting holds a special place in our activity, as a boat has an average lifespan of 40 years. Repowering is part of its natural cycle, allowing for the preservation of a hull and existing fittings while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to building a new boat. It is a concrete way to make the energy transition in boating accessible without waiting for a complete fleet renewal.
Whatever the project, we systematically guide our clients towards the most suitable financing solutions and existing grants for their situation, so that the switch to electric or hybrid remains an accessible choice. And to experience for oneself what a high-power electric propulsion changes, nothing beats a trial in real conditions: the trial sessions of our KRONOS 250 have just resumed on Lake Geneva.
What are the values that drive us?
Three values guide each of our decisions, from technical development to our relationship with clients.
- Ecological innovation, because we believe that technology should serve the planet, and not the other way around. Every engineering choice on our electric and hybrid engines aims to reconcile performance and respect for the environment.
- Technical excellence, because we refuse the idea of sacrificing power for the sake of a clean engine. Our engines are designed to meet the demands of the most discerning sailors, whether for leisure, fishing, or professional use.
- Shared responsibility, because we believe that the transition to boating will not happen without a collective awareness. We encourage our community to adopt more responsible boating practices, beyond just the choice of engine.
What are our CSR commitments?
Beyond the product, we are committed to reducing the carbon footprint of boating and preserving the marine and river ecosystems. Our electric and hybrid engines emit no hydrocarbon leaks, generate no toxic waste, and significantly reduce noise disturbances for aquatic wildlife, unlike traditional thermal engines.
This preservation logic is found even in the very design of our engines: their lifespan is at least 3 times longer than that of an equivalent thermal engine, and their maintenance cost is almost zero. An engine designed to last is also a way to limit the constant renewal of equipment and reduce the pressure on the resources needed for their manufacture. For us, truly responsible navigation is built over time, not just at the moment of choosing the engine.
Published on 25/06/2026
Editor: Chloé Quittoud