Ruban Bleu has been building electric boats at Vigneux-de-Bretagne, near Nantes, since 1992, which makes it one of the longest-running electric-only yards in Europe. Its range is defined by passenger count rather than by length, running from five to thirty seats. The four core models are the Ace 2 at five seats, described by the builder as compact and stable, the Scoop 2 at seven, the Legend at nine, and the Most at eleven. The Legend is laid out specifically for people with reduced mobility, a constraint that shows up in freeboard, step heights and cockpit sole layout rather than in a bolt-on accessory. The boats are built in France and require no licence to operate. The commercial logic behind the range is the French hire market: these are low-speed open craft aimed at rental fleets on rivers, canals and lakes, and at municipal and tourist operators, rather than at private owners chasing performance. That target explains choices a private buyer might find odd, such as generous seat counts on short hulls and simple, serviceable installations that a fleet mechanic can maintain. Ruban Bleu exhibited at boot Dusseldorf in January 2026, presented there as a European leader in inland waterway electric passenger boats. For a marketplace that already carries several inland French and Spanish builders, it is the obvious missing name.
Get in touch