A kart boat with a combustion engine or an electric water go-kart sounds like fun, doesn't it? We took a look at it 😉

Recently, we have been seeing more and more pictures and videos of electric water go-karts and kart boats on social media, but gasoline-powered variants have also been around for a while.

Kart boat with gasoline engine

EvoJet from the USA relies on a combustion engine - so it is a petrol-powered water go-kart. To do this, the technology of a Sea-Doo Spark is used and converted. Since there is no electric jet ski from BRP yet, the petrol option is used.

Not from our E-SURFER YouTube channel, but here is an interesting video on the subject:

The video above is already from 2020, so it's not brand new. These Evojets have not really caught on in terms of sales, but there are some rental companies in the US. In addition to the EvoJet from the US, the Aquakart from China is also available here.

These Sea-Doo Spark conversions are priced around 15,000 EUR each, but they have not really made it to Europe. Due to the low position, driving in waves at sea is not without danger and on lakes and rivers - especially in Europe - often not allowed.

Who wouldn't want to take a ride in one of these, but the noise and exhaust fumes seem a bit out of date. So what electric water go-kart models are there?

So far, most electric kart boat manufacturers seem to come from China. Here are a few examples:

Electric water go-karts from China

On Alibaba or similar platforms, you will find a number of electric water go-kart suppliers. Often from manufacturers who also offer affordable jetboards or eFoils through these channels. After all, very similar components are used for an electric water go-kart as for an eFoil or jetboard.

Just like the eFoils and jetboards, such an electric kart boat is offered here in the lower price segment. Partly under 5,000 EUR. I can only warn against this. You never know what is installed here and you should not underestimate the danger of lithium-ion batteries in the water.

Furthermore, it is questionable whether you can get spare parts or support from China. Ultimately, similar components are used in an electric water kart as in a jetboard, and the power must be considerably higher than in an eFoil due to the water displacement. Therefore, the price for high-quality components must be around 15,000 EUR or more. You should be skeptical of much lower prices.

Unfortunately, there are already too many user reports in our forum of cheap electric surfboards bought on Alibaba & Co. The feedback is devastating.

eKart from ESURF

The European jetboard manufacturer ESURF from Monaco has launched an accessory for jetboards from its own company, which I was personally able to test in France. I also made a video about it.

From minute 3:37, you can see it on the following video: (unfortunately, the sound failed a little at exactly this point)

These are an inflatable tube that you stretch around the jetboard and a seat elevation that is supposed to give you the feeling of a water go-kart. It was definitely fun to ride, but I didn't find the seating position very comfortable. But it's sure to be great fun for kids!

Recently, we have been hearing less and less about ESURF and the eKart in particular. The company's focus is now on the Searider. But you also rarely see riding reports of the Searider and mostly only press announcements and videos from the manufacturer. To date, I have not seen a video that shows how to do a water start with this water motorcycle.

Gliss Speed Water Jet Kart

As early as 2019, another French company tried its hand at an electric water jet kart. Due to a maximum power of 1,500 watts (for comparison, an eFoil has about 5,000 watts and most jetboards about 11,000 watts), it was only able to reach a maximum speed of 25 km/h.

Since the manufacturers usually refer to ideal conditions (light driver, no wind, no waves) when stating the maximum speeds, the maximum speed for an average adult is likely to have been rather less than 20 km/h. 1,500 watts really can't produce any more than that.

That's probably why this product didn't catch on either.

Dandelion K5 Jet Kart Boat

The Chinese water go-kart manufacturer PGY Innovations, which also presented a jet-board called “S7 E-Surfboard”, is now promoting a “K5 Jet Kart Boat”. The very “innovative” (...) names of the watercraft suggest that these are so-called OEM products. So they are looking for partners to bring the product to market under their own name.

The manufacturer speaks of 15 kW of power (so a sports boat license is required) at a maximum speed of 45 km/h. The maximum driver weight is given as 100 kg. Unfortunately, there are only photos of the Dandelion K5 Jet Kart Boat (mostly only 3D renderings from the computer) and no riding videos.

Other Chinese water go-kart manufacturers

There are a number of such manufacturers: AdmitJet Electric Jet Ski Aqua Go Kart, ProPel Jet Kart, SeaFly Aqua Electric Jet Go-Kart, DooJet Nautiques Kart Racing Boat, etc. The list of Chinese suppliers is virtually endless.

Often you will only find computer graphics and no real photos or videos. The aim here is to test the interest in the market before making further investments. Please never transfer money before you have personally tested the water go-kart.

Water Go-Kart from Rush Wave

Rush Wave, a company from China, is very active on social media. At least they regularly show videos of the water go-kart.

What makes me skeptical, however, is the price of 5,000 USD with the following performance data:

• 80-90 minutes driving time
• Maximum 52 km/h
• Acceleration from 0 to 40 km/h in 4 seconds
• 6.2 kWh battery capacity
• 30 kg battery weight
• 45 kg weight of the go-kart
  

This seems to me to be very far-fetched and to have nothing to do with reality. These performance data are far above those of premium jet-boards with prices up to 20,000 EUR.

Who would have guessed, of course Rush Wave also offers jetboards and eFoils. Again, priced well below the prices of the established players. What you don't find, however, are any photos or videos of users from Europe or the US.

Probably another OEM supplier looking for dealers who want to sell these products under their own name. You probably already guessed it: I can only advise against it 😉