There's no shortage of ambitious concept yachts out there, many of which are so lavish and technologically ambitious that they won't ever see actual production. But the people at Hareide Design had a different approach in mind when they came up with the 108M, their new mega yacht concept that was engineered with the beauty and power of the surrounding environment as the central focus.
The idea behind the 108M is to appreciate the natural beauty of a sea voyage, rather than load up the yacht with a bunch of attention-getting opulence that's distracting at best and inefficient at worst. Efficiency is also given a high premium, as the 108M is described as a "hybrid mega yacht" at Hareide's official site, with two energy sources depending on the intended use of the craft:
"300 square meters of high efficiency solar panels charging banks of lithium-ion batteries provides the ship with sustainable energy and enough power for slow cruising along quiet shorelines. For longer distance and higher speed you also have the option for diesel-electric propulsion, and if you get visitors the helipad comes in handy of course."
Passengers on board the 108M won't exactly be roughing it, however, with access to an elevated dining area and observation space, a 20-meter swimming pool surrounded by a "tranquil garden," and a multi-use grand hall with views and contact with nature not possible on a traditional yacht.
That is, they will, should the 108M ever escape its conceptual prison and become a reality. In the meantime, you will have to struggle to appreciate nature the old-fashioned way: On your lumbering, energy-inefficient luxury mega yacht.
