Les Bateaux Verts brings electric to the Gulf of Saint-Tropez with Scania

1 SEPTEMBER 2026

For more than six decades, Les Bateaux Verts has carried passengers across the Gulf of Saint-Tropez at the French Riviera. Now, the French maritime operator takes the next step in its environmental journey with L’Espadon III, a fully electric passenger vessel powered by a Scania solution with electric motor, power converter, chargers, control systems, mounting components – everything.

Based in Sainte-Maxime, Les Bateaux Verts operates in one of the Mediterranean’s most recognisable coastal environments. For Denis Robert, Managing Director of Les Bateaux Verts, the decision to electrify started with the sea itself.

Denis Robert, Managing Director of Les Bateaux Verts.

“We live from the sea. We must therefore respect it and take care of it. The first consideration we had was to limit our impact on the natural environment,” he says.

Explore the story behind L’Espadon III

Hear Les Bateaux Verts share the story behind L’Espadon III, France’s first fully electric passenger vessel, powered by Scania.

A Scania solution built on a long relationship

Les Bateaux Verts’ transition to electric propulsion builds on a long-standing relationship with Scania. “For more than 20 years, the engines on 90 percent of our vessels have been Scania. So we have a long history of collaboration,” says Robert.

When the company moved towards electric propulsion, that existing relationship mattered. Robert points to local knowledge, confidence in the teams involved, and support throughout the project. “Historically, our company has always worked with the engine maker Scania, so it seemed natural to us during this technology change to ask Scania to offer us solutions. The local contacts knew us and we dealt with integration teams that gave us confidence.”

For Robert, the collaboration became a central part of making the project possible.

“The whole company worked on this. The town halls worked with us, the shipyard worked with us, and Scania was the unifying force behind this whole project. For a company, one can feel gratitude and joy about that.”

A route made for electrification

The vessel’s performance has exceeded the specifications set by Les Bateaux Verts.

The company has explored alternatives to conventional propulsion; hydrogen, biofuel, gas and electricity were all evaluated before they decided on electrification. “We opted for electricity because it was the best,” says Robert. “Because of the sailing distance that we had, the sailing time that we had and the possibilities for recharging.”

L’Espadon III operates between Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Tropez, a route that takes around 20 minutes and combines frequent departures with predictable distances and access to charging. According to captain Sébastien André, the vessel, operated by two crew members, runs from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. It carries 97 passengers and completes four crossings in the morning, a fast charge around midday, and four further crossings in the afternoon.

The route between Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Tropez helped make electric propulsion a natural fit.

For Robert, one of the decisive factors was that the vessel could be integrated into daily operations without changing the character of the service. “The specifications that we had set in terms of performance were very demanding. The reality is better than the specifications,” he says.

“It is like being on board a sailing boat. We find again the calm and the smoothness of sailing.”

– Sebastien André, Captain at Les Bateaux Verts

Quiet and smooth

The benefits on board are noticeable. For the crew, the electric vessel offers a calmer working environment. For passengers, the journey is quieter and smoother. “The advantages we identified were no CO2 emissions, optimum comfort for the crews and for the passengers, no noise, no vibrations and no emissions,” says Robert.

Sebastien André, who has spent 25 years as a captain, describes the feeling of operating L’Espadon III: “It is like being on board a sailing boat. We find again the calm and the smoothness of sailing.”

On board, electric propulsion creates a quieter and smoother working environment for the crew.

Charging as part of the daily rhythm

Charging has been built into the operating pattern of the vessel. André describes the different ways L’Espadon III is charged: “For charging the electric boat, we do five hours of charging at night, about 25 kW per charger, and during the day we have a break where we recharge 20-30 minutes with super-fast charging at 150 kW.”

L’Espadon III charges overnight and during a short break in the middle of the day.

For Les Bateaux Verts, last season has confirmed that the model works in daily service. Robert describes the performance as better than expected in terms of range and speed. “The capital cost is higher than the cost of a vessel with a combustion engine. Today, we are satisfied with the operational cost, and time will have to prove that we have made a good capital investment choice.”

Les Bateaux Verts brings electric to the Gulf of Saint-Tropez with Scania

L’Espadon III is not intended to be a one-off. For Les Bateaux Verts, it is the first step to electrify a large part of the fleet. “The first vessel allowed us to validate the model. Over the coming years, we will probably equip one or two vessels per year,” says Robert. “The objective is for 70 percent of our fleet to be equipped as electric.”

For Scania, the project shows how electrification can extend beyond road transport into marine operations, where power, reliability, and charging must work together. For Les Bateaux Verts, it is a way to continue to serve one of France’s most iconic coastal routes and reduce local impact on the environment.

As Robert puts it: “We live from the sea. We must therefore respect it and take care of it.”

Facts about L’Espadon III

Type: Fully electric passenger vessel
Length: 18 metres
Passenger capacity: 97 passengers
Crew: 2 crew members
Propulsion: 100% electric