#550 Alexandre Mongeon: Can $5 Replace $350 in Boat Fuel?

Alexandre Mongeon is a CEO and co-founder of Vision Marine Technologies. Alex has been building electric boats since 2013, and we spoke about what it takes to turn a technology people doubt into something they can actually trust and use. Electric boats spent generations associated with slow trolling speeds, but Alexandre says his team reached 116 mph in 2023, while cutting maintenance by about 90%. On operating cost, his comparison is even sharper: roughly $5 of electricity for a full day versus about $350 of diesel or gas. “The power is there, the technology is there,” he says. 

The harder problem has been adoption. Alexandre describes himself as “an educator” because customers still worry about range, safety, service, and charging. His answer is hands-on proof: integrate electric systems into manufacturers’ boats, test sound, power and range on the water, train dealers, and let families experience the difference themselves. That approach has included 25 manufacturer integrations and a California rental operation that grew from five boats to as many as 30, giving the company years of real-world operating data.  

For Alexandre, adoption is deliberately gradual: “it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” The lesson for listeners is concrete: when customers distrust a new category, reduce the argument and increase the experience—prove economics, performance, and usability where people can see and feel them. 

Key takeaways

Prove new technology through hands-on use, not explanations alone.Compare operating economics with concrete numbers customers immediately understand.Test sound, power, range, and usability against existing alternatives.Use rental fleets as both laboratories and customer acquisition channels.Train manufacturers and dealers before expecting customers to trust the category.Expect category adoption to take years, not months.