These 1 % of marina spaces that could change everything for you
The law opens a discreet but strategic door for you: reserved spaces, less waiting, more freedom. Provided you have the right engine on board.
Finding a space in a marina during peak season is often a trial. Waiting lists of several years, saturated rings, endless negotiations with marina managers… The reality of the marina market in France is one of structural tension between growing demand and stagnant supply.
However, since 2022 there has been a legal provision that most boaters are still unaware of, which could radically change the game for those switching to electric propulsion.
A discreet law, but with concrete implications
📜 ARTICLE L1521-4 OF THE TRANSPORT CODE
« From 1 January 2022, in marinas with a capacity of more than one hundred spaces, at least 1 % of the berths benefiting from a private provision for one year are reserved for electric vessels. »
Adopted as part of the 2019 Mobility Orientation Law (LOM), this provision has gone under the radar of the vast majority of boaters. And this is precisely where the opportunity lies.
In practice, any marina with more than 100 berths is now legally required to reserve at least 1% of its annual berths for 100% electric powered boats. In a marina with 400 berths, this represents 4 dedicated berths. In a large marina with 1,000 berths, it's about ten berths that can only be allocated to electric boats.
Why this 1% is much more valuable than it seems
On paper, 1% seems negligible. In reality, it is a priority access to berths in marinas where the waiting list sometimes stretches over five to ten years.
Imagine a sought-after marina on the Côte d'Azur, in Brittany or Normandy, where every freed berth generates dozens of applications. These berths reserved for electric boats are not subject to the same competition : they constitute a distinct pool, accessible only to owners whose boat is certified as electric powered.
Fewer competitors, same type of berth. This is the definition of a competitive advantage in a strained market. The boater who switches to electric does not just choose a mode of propulsion — they gain access to a priority status recognised by law.
The concrete advantages of the electric boat, beyond the berth
⚡ Access to restricted thermal zones
- Lakes, nature reserves, protected coastal areas: electric motors open up navigation territories inaccessible to thermal engines. A navigation territory that is expanding significantly.
💰 A usage cost divided by ten
- For a 4-hour outing, expect to pay €0.50 to €2 for charging compared to €15 to €40 for petrol for an equivalent combustion engine. Over a season, the savings can reach several thousand euros.
🔇 The silence as a new form of luxury
- Sailing without engine noise, without vibrations, without hydrocarbon smells. A radically different onboard experience, praised by fishermen and boaters looking to observe marine wildlife.
🔧 Almost non-existent maintenance
- First complete service after 10,000 hours of navigation. No oil filter, no belts, no oil changes. The mechanical simplicity of the electric motor translates directly into long-term savings.
🌿 Regulatory anticipation
- Restrictions on combustion engines in sensitive areas are multiplying. Switching to electric today means freeing oneself from tomorrow's constraints before they become imposed obligations.
Weenav engines: designed for full enjoyment
Accessing these reserved spaces requires being equipped with a truly electric engine — approved, certified, and up to the standards of modern navigation. This is precisely where Weenav, a French engine manufacturer and integrator specialising in marine electric propulsion, comes in.
Two complementary ranges, designed to cover the entire existing fleet of boats — from leisure rigid inflatables to large professional vessels.
ELECTRIC & HYBRID OUTBOARD SERIES
KRONOS
Electric power, turnkey
POWER 80 hp (59 kW) – 300 hp (220 kW) continuous
PROPULSION TORQUE 780 Nm
- Architecture 400–800 V, motor efficiency at 97 %
- Recharge up to 2C (from 10% to 90% in 30 minutes)
- Power: up to 22 kW (three-phase 32A)
- Combo CCS (up to 200 kW)
- Integrated touchscreen on Garmin
- Sealing: IP67 marine certified
- Retrofit possible on any compatible outboard boat
The KRONOS directly replaces your existing thermal outboard motor. Compatible with all boats originally equipped with outboards, its installation is quick and requires no structural modifications to the hull.
ELECTRIC & HYBRID INBOARD SERIES
ARION
For large spans
POWER 50 hp (37 kW) – 500 hp (375 kW) continuous
MAINTENANCE Recommended first service at 10,000 hours
- Maintenance mainly software-based
- Integrated Garmin touchscreen
- Power: Up to 22 kW (three-phase 32A),
- Combo CCS (up to 200 kW)
- Recharge up to 2C (from 10% to 90% in 30 minutes)
- IP67 components
- Retrofit compatible without structural modification
Compact, lightweight and impressively powerful, the ARION integrates discreetly into the bilges. It fits all inboard boats and can be paired with any existing engine for a hybrid version.
Made in France, designed to last
Weenav is a French company whose motors are designed and assembled in France. Each system integrates a management touchscreen interface developed with GARMIN EmpirBus allowing real-time monitoring of charge status, consumption, and navigation data.
Charging at the port: an infrastructure that is expanding
One of the most frequent questions from boaters considering the switch to electric concerns charging. Can you easily charge at the dock? The answer is yes, and the infrastructure is improving rapidly.
The Weenav motors are compatible with AC Type 2 charging sockets up to 22 kW, available at an increasing number of pontoons. For fast charging, the Combo CCS socket allows you to go from 10% to 90% charge in just 30 minutes.
In practice, charging your electric boat at the dock often costs less than running a generator. And in many ports, charging is already included in the berth fee.
The time to act is now
The berths reserved for electric boats are still little known and in low demand. This is precisely why action must be taken now, before the competition arrives.
In a few years, when quotas are raised to 5% and tens of thousands of electric boats will have joined the French marinas, these spots will be as contested as the others. Today, they are not. The window of opportunity is open and it will not remain so indefinitely.
Switching to electric with a KRONOS or ARION engine from Weenav, is making an economic choice (drastic reduction in usage and maintenance costs), an ecological choice (zero emissions, preservation of fragile marine areas), and a strategic choice — accessing spots that your pontoon neighbours simply cannot claim.
Ready to take your place in the port of your dreams?
Discover which Weenav electric motorisation matches your boat and start enjoying the benefits reserved for electric boats, from this season.
Published on 25/03/2026
Editor: Sophie Castelain