Mobility takes many forms: cars, buses, planes, small electric scooters left for dead on sidewalks, and for some travelers, submarines. The private submarine sector is small, but there is enough demand for it that a Dutch company unveiled what sounds like the sports car of the segment.
Built by U-Boat Worx, and known as the Super Sub, the vessel is presented as the most hydrodynamic (like aerodynamic, but in the water) model on the market. It looks like it’s straight from the set of a science fiction movie with a transparent, dome-like front that gives the occupants an almost obscured view of what lies ahead, a relatively long tail with red fins and small wings on either side.
Interestingly, the Super Sub was commissioned by a submarine enthusiast who asked for a machine powerful enough to keep up with the vast marine life. It is therefore powered by four thrusters that draw electricity from lithium-ion batteries to provide a combined power of 80 horsepower. It can reach a cruising speed of 8 knots (that’s 9 mph for you landlubbers), which we’re told is 5 knots faster than the average submarine. And it can handle climbing and diving at 30 degrees. Users have the luxury of mingling with underwater creatures that live up to 300 meters deep.
After crawling through the roof-mounted hatch, the pilot and two passengers enjoy what U-Boat Worx describes as “a luxury supercar interior” with individual seats, five-point seat belts and what appears to be a climate control system. There are screens that provide essential information about the Super Sub and its environment, and a pair of video game-style joysticks are used to control the craft.
U-Boat Worx noted that it has already sold the first Super Sub. Prices have not yet been announced, but deliveries are scheduled for 2023. We hope the owner has a large, V8-powered pickup in his or her driveway: the Super Sub tips the scale at nearly £20,000. Looking ahead, the Super Sub will spawn a full lineup of models, although details of what that will include have not yet been released.
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