At the Monaco Yacht Show 2026, British design studio Lateral Naval Architects unveiled ENX, a new 70-metre platform designed to take yacht electrification from hybrid to battery-led power.
The platform has been engineered to “meet the demands of a popular operating profile” – a one-week Mediterranean charter, according to the studio – and provides an installation of 60MWh across three dedicated battery spaces, for a range of 625 nautical miles.
ENX was developed in response to the question: “How far can the progression towards electrification realistically be taken while retaining the freedom, capability and experience expected of a yacht?”
To find the solution, the studio analysed BOATPro’s exclusive AIS data for the Mediterranean charter fleet against operational experience on board, including where the yachts went, at what speed, for how long and the energy cost of their movement - identifying 70-metre yachts as a key segment of the market to analyse.
Results revealed that a highly efficient 70-metre superyacht of around 1,700GT would require approximately 37 to 50MWh to meet propulsion and hotel load demands over a typical one-week Mediterranean charter, covering around 350 nautical miles.
To meet the required (and observed) demand while accounting for end-of-life degradation and the required battery reserves, Lateral estimated ENX’s total installed capacity to require approximately 60MWh, equating to around 300T of battery mass. According to the studio, the chosen battery technology is suitable for use within the next five years and occupies a volume comparable to two-thirds of a basketball court.
“The projection is not speculative,” read a statement from the studio. “Lateral assesses marine battery products against an internal technology readiness scale, considering operating profile, discharge rates, installation restrictions, price and commercial availability alongside energy density.” ENX applies that method to predict available performance in five years, which returns an approximate 20 per cent increase in energy density over today's commercially available marine batteries.
Unlike the traditional battery storage on board superyachts, ENX was designed with batteries as the primary consideration. Capacity is distributed across three dedicated battery rooms – forward, midship and aft – positioned to "maximise volumetric efficiency" while ensuring safe access, maintainability and integration.
The platform is built on an efficient Lateral Series A hull form optimised for slower speeds suited to guest operations, combined with advanced HVAC, thermal management, automation for load management and space-efficient, high-power-density variable-speed generators on a DC grid distribution system.
Guest operation represents the yacht's typical charter condition: silent running with zero local emissions, powered entirely by batteries for both propulsion and hotel loads. Shore recharge is the standard turnaround between charters, with predicted Mediterranean infrastructure enabling 20 to 100 per cent charging in 10 to 48 hours. For long-range transits, an onboard Energy Extender charging solution enables extended passages between charters while simultaneously preserving the Atlantic crossing capability expected at this size, delivering an extended range of 4,500 nautical miles.
With large-scale energy storage comes additional safety requirements. ENX follows class society regulations throughout, including class type-approved batteries with a battery management system and a dedicated Ex-rated ventilation for hazardous gas removal.
Earlier this year, the studio unveiled an 83.3-metre superyacht concept in collaboration with design firms byJC and Lawson Robb, known as HUB.
Read More/Lateral Naval Architects unveils 83m superyacht concept in collaboration with byJC and Lawson Robb